hm 


'„*  ■■■" 


UC-NRLF 


B    3    T52    TS3 


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<0 

LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

University  of  California. 

GIFT  OF* 

Mrs.  SARAH  P.  WALSWORTH. 

Received  October,  1894. 
^Accessions  No.g*] £L0 (p.     -Class  No. 


0, 


RECOMMENDATIONS, 


The  undersigned  having  examined  the  general  plan 
and  some  of  the  parts  of  a  new  work,  termed  Christ 
and  Antichrist,  believe  that  the  publication  of  said 
work  would  much  tend  to  promote  the  cause  of  our 
common  Christianity. 

The  arguments  both  for  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus, 
and  the  Antichristian  character  of  the  Papacy,  are 
strong  and  convincing.  Much  advantage,  too,  is  de- 
rived from  the  fact,  that  these  arguments  are  placed 
in  a  sort  of  parallelism  with  each  other.  No  real 
Christian  will  be  prepared  to  deny  the  Messiahship  of 
Jesus.  But  the  author  shows,  that  the  very  same 
mode  of  proof  will  also  establish  the  Antichristian 
character  of  the  Papacy.  In  this  way  the  argument 
against  Popery  is  presented  with  great  advantage. 

The  individual  and  peculiar  views  of  the  author 
we  do  not  pretend  to  endorse ;  nor  can  we  express 
an  opinion  as  to  those  parts  of  the  volume  which  we 
have  not  examined.  So  far,  however,  as  our  exami- 
nation has  gone,  we  take  great  pleasure  in  giving 

( i ) 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 

our  approval  to  the  publication  of  this  new  and  appa- 
rently interesting  work. 

MOSES  D.  HOGE, 

Pastor  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church,  Richmond,  Va. 

S.  J.  P.  ANDERSON, 

Pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  Danville,  Va. 

ROBERT  BOYTE  C.  HOWELL, 

Pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Nashville,  Tenn. 

EDWARD  WADSWORTH, 

Pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Norfolk,  Va. 

JAMES  R.  GILLAND, 

Pastor  of  Fishing  Creek  Presbyterian  Church,  Chester  Dis- 
trict, South  Carolina. 

DAVID  CALDWELL, 

Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Norfolk,  Virginia. 

UPTON  BEALL, 

Rector  of  Christ  Church,  Norfolk,  Virginia. 

JAMES  B.  TAYLOR, 

Corresponding  Secretary  of  Foreign  Mission  Board,  Southern 
Baptist  Convention,  Richmond,  Va. 

STEPHEN  TAYLOR, 

Pastor  of  the  High  Street  Presbyterian  Church,  Petersburg, 
Virginia. 

E.  D.  SANDERS, 

Pastor  of  the  Lebanon  Presbyterian  Church,  Prince  George 
county,  Virginia. 

JOHN  LEYBURN, 

Pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  Petersburg,  Va. 

JOSEPH  C.  STILES, 

Pastor  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church,  Richmond,  Va. 

SAMUEL  L.  GRAHAM,  D.  D. 

Professor  of  Oriental  Literature,  Union  Theological  Semi- 
nary, Virginia. 

(2   ) 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 

From  an  exhibit  made  to  me  of  the  outline  of  this 
work  by  the  author,  I  am  exceedingly  interested  in 
his  plan,  as  novel  and  advantageous;  and  hope  he  will 
be  able  speedily  to  put  it  to  press,  and  that  it  will 
have  wide  circulation. 

JAMES  G.  HAMNER, 

Pastor  of  the  Fifth  Presbyterian  Church,  Baltimore. 


It  will  give  me  great  pleasure  to  see  this  work  in 
print,  and  judging  from  the  brief  hearing  I  have  had 
of  its  plan,  as  given  me  by  its  estimable  author,  I  am 
prepared  to  hear  that  it  will  be  well  received  by  the 
Christian  public,  and  extensively  useful. 

HENRY  V.  D.  JOHNS, 

Rector  of  Christ  Church,  Baltimore. 

G.  W.  MUSGRAVE, 

Pastor  of  the  Third  Presbyterian  Church,  Baltimore. 


Circumstances  have  not  permitted  me  to  examine 
the  work  Mr.  C.  proposes  to  publish,  but  the  plan,  as 
explained  by  himself,  strikes  me  very  favourably;  and 
his  general  reputation  affords  a  sufficient  guarantee 
that  it  is  executed  with  ability.  I  hope  the  work  will 
be  published  and  widely  circulated. 

H.  A.  BOARDMAN, 

Pastor  of  the  Tenth  Presbyterian  Church,  Philadelphia. 
July  1,  1846. 


I  take  much  pleasure  in  saying,  that  I  have  great 
respect  for  the  person  and  understanding  of  the  au- 
thor of  the  fore-mentioned  work.    I  know  that  he  has 
read  and  thought  much  on  the  subject  of  which  he 
(   3   ) 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 

has  written,  and  I  regret  very  much  that  I  cannot 
have  an  hour's  leisure  to  examine  the  work.  I  can 
only  say  I  shall  look  for  the  work  with  much  interest, 
and  hope  the  author  may  find  a  liberal  publisher. 

WILLIAM  S.  PLUMER. 

Richmond,  Virginia,  June  24,  1846. 


I  regret  that  the  stay  of  the  author  of  the  above 
work  in  Richmond  is  so  brief,  that  I  cannot  have  time 
to  examine  more  fully  than  I  have  done  his  manu- 
script. But  from  my  impresssion  of  the  plan  and  exe- 
cution, I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  chief  excellency 
of  the  work  consists  in  the  distinctness  with  which  it 
exhibits  the  evidence  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  and  that 
the  Papal  Church  is  Antichrist — in  its  adaptedness 
to  the  capacities  of  ordinary  readers,  in  its  simplicity, 
and  in  its  freedom  from  language  and  expressions 
calculated  to  give  offence.  The  author  has  gone  "  to 
the  Law  and  the  Testimony,"  more  fully  than  is  com- 
mon with  writers  on  the  Papacy;  and  this,  after  all, 
is  the  greatest  recommendation  of  the  work — for  the 
word  of  God  is  that  sword  of  the  Spirit  which  must 
effect  the  conquest. 

I  could  wish  to  see  it  not  only  published,  but  very 
extensively  circulated,  and  such  I  am  inclined  to  think 
will  be  the  fact,  when  its  merits  become  known. 

B.  GILDERSLEEVE, 

Editor  of  the  Watchman  and  Observer,  Richmond,  Va. 


(  4  ) 


CHRIST  AND  ANTICHRIST 

OR 

JESUS  OF  NAZARETH 

TROVED  TO  BE 

THE    MESSIAH 

AND 

THE  PAPACY 

PROVED  TO  BE 

THE   ANTICHRIST 

PREDICTED   IN   THE   HOLY    SCRIPTURES. 


Rev.  SAMUEL  J.  CASSELS 

Late  of  Norfolk,  Virginia. 


:wy>  o^VotPDn — The  wise  shall  understand. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION. 


■13T2.3  0 

C5 


Entered  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1846, 
by  A.  W.  Mitchell,  M.  D.,  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of 
the  District  Court  for  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsyl- 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 

JESUS  PROVED  TO  BE  THE  MESSIAH. 

Introductory  Remarks 19 

CHAPTER  I. 
The  Genealogy  of  Jesus 21 

CHAPTER  II. 
The  Birth  of  Jesus 28 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Birth-place  of  Jesus 36 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Time  when  Jesus  made  his  Appearance 44 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Testimony  of  Inspired  Witnesses 50 


4  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Direct  Testimony  from  Heaven 55 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Personal  Testimony  of  Jesus 60 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  Miracles  of  Jesus C3 

CHAPTER  IX. 
The  Character  of  Jesus 71 

CHAPTER  X. 
Jesus  a  Teacher 83 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Jesus  a  Sacrifice  and  Priest 95 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Jesus  a  King 107 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  Resurrection  of  Jesus 130 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Blessings  conferred  on  the  Gentiles  by  Jesus 138 


CONTENTS. 


PART  II. 

THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE  ANTICHRIST. 

Introductory  Remarks 151 

CHAPTER  I. 
The  Seat  of  Antichrist 155 

CHAPTER  II. 
The  Time  of  Antichrist 165 

CHAPTER  III. 
Antichrist  a  peculiar  Power 181 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Antichrist  an  Apostate  from  the  Christian  Faith 191 

„      CHAPTER  V. 
Antichrist  an  Idolater 201 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Antichrist  a  Blasphemer. 209 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Antichrist  an  Innovator   216 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Antichrist  a  Persecutor 231 

1* 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Antichrist  the  Possessor  of  great  Riches 260 

v      CHAPTER  X. 
Antichrist  the  Possessor  of  great  Power 273 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Antichrist  distinguished  for  Craft  and  pretended  Miracles 304 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Antichrist  a  Reprobate 320 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  Downfall  of  Antichrist 330 

Notes 342 


r  R  E  F  A  C  E 


As  many  judicious  and  excellent  ministers  of  various 
Christian  denominations  have  recommended  the  pub- 
lication of  the  following  work,  the  author  sincerely 
hopes,  that  the  mere  circumstance  that  it  is  issued  by 
a  particular  Board,  will  not  hinder  its  general  circu- 
lation. It  is  not  a  sectarian,  but  a  Christian  and  Pro- 
testant work.  Both  the  subjects,  too,  of  which  it  treats 
are  not  only  of  general  interest  to  all  Christians,  but 
of  special  interest  to  the  whole  church  at  the  pre- 
sent time.  More,  probably,  than  at  any  past  period, 
is  the  Church  seeking  the  universal  establishment  of 
the  kingdom  of  Christ  on  earth.  Two  special  obsta- 
cles in  the  accomplishment  of  that  result  are  Juda- 
ism and  Antichristianity.  Remove  these,  and  how 
rapid  and  glorious  would  be  the  spread  of  the  gospel 
over  the  whole  earth !  This  fact  is  beginning  to  be 
well  appreciated  by  Christians  both  in  Europe  and 
America.  Hence,  the  recent  missions  to  the  Jews, 
and  also,  to  several  Papal  countries.     The  author 


8  PREFACE. 

hopes,  therefore,  that  he  has  taken  his  stand,  not 
simply  in  the  great  controversy,  but  also  in  the  great 
spirit  of  the  age.  Let  then  the  following  pages  be 
perused,  not  with  the  belligerent  feeling  of  religious 
controversy,  but  with  the  prayer  of  our  Lord — "Thy 
kingdom  come,  thy  will  be  done  on  earth,  as  it  is  in 
heaven. " 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  history  of  the  human  race  has  wonderfully  ex- 
hibited the  craft  and  malignity  of  Satan,  as  contrasted 
with  the  power  and  grace  of  God. 

When  the  destiny  of  that  race  was  suspended  upon 
the  observance  of  a  particular  precept,  the  great  ene- 
my, through  his  subtilty,  effected  the  violation  of  that 
precept,  and  the  consequent  condemnation  of  the 
human  species.  But  good  arose  out  of  evil.  Divine 
grace  had  provided  a  Deliverer,  and  the  assurance 
was  given,  that  "the  seed  of  the  woman  should  bruise 
the  serpent's  head." 

Soon  after  this,  the  malignity  of  Satan  is  seen,  in 
promoting  bloodshed  and  slaughter  among  mankind. 
Cain  kills  his  brother,  and  "  the  earth  is  filled  with 
violence.''  Here  again  Jehovah  interposes.  Noah 
is  commanded  to  build  an  ark,  in  which,  not  only 
himself  and  family  were  for  a  time  to  be  deposited; 
but,  in  which,  through  this  one  family,  all  future  gen- 
erations were  to  be  preserved.  A  flood  of  waters 
then  desolates  the  earth,  the  ungodly  are  destroyed ; 
but  the  chosen  family  outride  the  storm,  and  are  safely 
landed  on  the  sunny  top  of  Ararat. 

A  few  centuries  after  this  awful  warning,  the  great 
deceiver  introduces  idolatry  into  the  world.  Those 
created  things,  which  God  had  ordained  to  minister 
to  the  wants  of  men,  are  themselves  converted  into 
deities.  The  settlers  of  new  colonies,  the  inventors 
of  useful  arts,  venerated  ancestors,  are  all  considered 
as  so  many  gods.  Nor  did  the  evil  stop  here.  These 
distant  objects  and  revered  names,  must  be  brought 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

nigh  to  the  worshipper;  they  must  approach  his 
senses.  To  effect  this,  pictures,  images,  and  statues 
were  introduced ;  and  even  these  received  divine 
worship  !  God  interposes  again.  Abraham  is  called 
from  Ur  of  Chaldea,  and  he  and  his  posterity  are 
made  the  depositaries  of  the  truth  and  promises  of 
Jehovah. 

The  enemy,  however,  pursues  this  chosen  race. 
He  raises  up  among  them  false  prophets ;  he  leads 
even  Israel  into  idolatry  !  For  these  breaches  of  his 
covenant,  God  punished  his  people  in  various  ways; 
and  ultimately  caused  them  to  endure  a  long  and 
afflictive  captivity  in  a  foreign  land. 

Rescued  from  their  visible  idolatry,  the  next  device 
of  the  great  apostate  was  to  obscure  and  corrupt  those 
living  oracles  of  God,  by  which  Israel  was  to  be 
governed.  The  synagogue  has  now  taken  the  place 
of  the  grove,  and  the  Rabbi  that  of  the  prophet  of 
Baal.  The  word  of  God  is  now  the  professed  object 
of  study.  Learned  men  are  raised  up,  and  schools 
of  biblical  literature  are  established.  But  inquiries 
are  pursued  beyond  the  testimony  of  God,  and  tra- 
dition is  made  the  interpreter  of  Scripture.  Soon, 
this  tradition  is  exalted  into  an  authority  equal,  or 
even  superior  to  that  of  the  written  word;  while 
the  strange  spectacle  is  exhibited,  of  a  people,  with 
the  law  of  God  in  their  hands,  yet  following  "  the 
doctrines  and  commandments  of  men."  It  was  at  this 
period,  the  great  Deliverer  appeared. 

The  doctrines  of  Jesus  were  designed  to  bring  men 
back  from  human  testimony  to  that  which  is  divine. 
Tradition,  philosophy,  human  teaching,  all  he  sub- 
jected to  revelation.  By  his  death  too,  and  priestly 
intercession  in  heaven,  he  abolished  the  pre-existing 
priesthood  and  ritual,  and  introduced  a  simple  and 
spiritual  mode  of  worship,  adapted  to  all  nations,  and 
designed  for  universal  prevalence.  He  abolished,  in 
short,  the  slavery  of  men,  and  introduced  the  freedom 
of  God. 

This  new  system  met  with  special  opposition  from 
Satan.     He  stimulated  first  the  Jews,  and  afterwards 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

the  Romans,  to  persecute  and  destroy  it.  Favoured 
however  by  God  it  ultimately  triumphs.  Embraced  at 
first  by  the  people,  it  afterwards  enters  the  palaces  of 
the  great,  and  even  ascends  the  throne  of  the  Caesars. 

This  new  aspect  of  affairs,  led  Satan  to  a  different 
mode  of  attack.  Unable  to  crush  the  new  system,  he 
undertakes  its  corruption.  This  was  effected  chiefly 
by  the  Papacy,  a  scheme  more  subtle  in  its  conception, 
more  extensive  in  its  operations,  and  more  destructive 
in  its  effects,  than  any  ever  devised  for  the  overthrow 
of  the  truth  and  church  of  God. 

Already  have  God's  people  been,  in  a  great  mea- 
sure, delivered  from  this  tyrannical  power.  The  yoke 
of  iron  has  been  broken,  the  walls  of  brass  have  fallen 
down.  The  light  of  the  Reformation  now  happily 
shines  upon  a  large  portion  of  Christendom:  and  mil- 
lions there  are,  who  rejoice  in  the  truths  which  Popery 
for  centuries  had  eclipsed,  and  hidden  from  the  world. 
Nor  is  this  all;  we  have  the  promise  of  Jehovah  him- 
self, that  the  very  last  fragment  of  this  oppressive 
system,  shall  ere  long  be  banished  from  the  earth. 
"Whom,"  says  an  Apostle,  "the  Lord  shall  consume 
with  the  spirit  of  his  mouth,  and  shall  destroy  with 
the  brightness  of  his  coming." 

In  applying  the  term  Antichrist  {Avtix&tfos)  to  the 
usurping  power  here  alluded  to,  the  writer  has  not 
only  followed  great  and  ancient  names,  but  the  true 
etymology  and  meaning  of  the  word.  Macknight  de- 
fines its  meaning  thus — "One  who  puts  himself  in  the 
place  of  Christ,  or  who  opposeth  Christ."  Schleusner 
says — "In  Novi  Testamenti  libris,  semper  adversa- 
riurn  Christi  ejusque  religionis,  significat"* — "  in  the 
books  of  the  New  Testament  it  always  signifies  an 
eiiemy  of  Christ  and  of  his  religion."  How  appropri- 
ately the  history  and  character  of  the  Papacy  have 
fulfilled  these  descriptions,  need  not  here  be  affirmed. 

This  term,  too,  has  been  applied  both  by  the  ancient 
fathers,  and  by  modern  writers,  by  Protestants  and 
Romanists,  to  some  great  enemy  to  the  church,  not 

*  In  verbo. 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

existing  so  early  as  the  days  of  the  Apostles.  Speak- 
ing of  the  Roman  empire,  Tertullian  says  —  "Cujus 
abscessio  in  decern  reges  dispersa  Antichristum  super- 
ducet* — "Whose  separation  into  ten  kingdoms  will 
bring  on  Antichrist."  Cyril,  of  Jerusalem,  expresses 
himself  thus  on  the  same  subject — "Decern  simul  reges 
Romanorum  excitabuntur  in  diversis  quidem  Jocis, 
eodem  tamen  tempore  regnantes.  Post  istos  autem  un- 
decimus  Antichristus,  per  magicum  maleficium  Roma- 
norum potestatem  rapiens."t  "There  will  arise  at  the 
same  time  ten  kings  of  the  Romans  in  different  places 
indeed,  but  reigning  all  of  them  at  the  same  time. 
But  after  them  the  eleventh  will  be  Antichrist,  who, 
through  magical  wickedness,  will  seize  the  power  of 
the  Romans."  Commenting  on  the  passage  in  2  Thes- 
salonians,  Jerome  says — "  Nisi,  inquit,  fuerit  Roma- 
num  Imperium  ante  desolatum,  et  Antichristus  praeces- 
sit,  Christus  non  veniet."  J  "  Says  the  apostle,  unless 
the  Roman  empire  shall  first  be  desolated,  and  Anti- 
christ precede,  Christ  will  not  come."  Augustine  also 
employs  the  word  in  the  same  sense.  "Nulli  dubium 
est,  eum  de  Antichristo  ista  dixisse;  diemque  judicii 
non  esse  venturum  nisi  ille  prior  venerit."§  "It  can 
be  doubted  by  none,  but  that  he  (Paul)  speaks  these 
things  concerning  Antichrist,  and  that  the  day  of 
judgment  will  not  come,  unless  he  first  appear."  Gre- 
gory the  Great,  bishop  of  Rome,  also  employs  the 
word  in  the  same  way.  Reprimanding  John,  bishop 
of  Constantinople,  who  was  seeking  to  be  made  head 
of  the  whole  church,  he  says — "Ergo  fidenter  dico, 
quod  quisquis  se  universalem  sacerdotem  vocat,  vel 
vocari  desiderabit  in  elatione  sua,  Antichristum  prae- 
currit."||  "  I  say  confidently,  therefore,  that  whosoever 
calls  himself  universal  bishop,  or  even  desires  in  his 
pride  to  be  called  such,  is  the  forerunner  of  Anti- 
christ." 

The  Reformers  generally,  and  since  them,  the  great 
body  of  Protestants,  have  uniformly  employed  this 

*  De  Resurrectionc  Carnis,  ch.  24.  +  Cat.  xv.  5. 

t  Algasise,  Ques.  ii.       §  De  Civitate  Dei.  i.,  20,  19.       ||  i.  6  Epis.  30. 


INTRODUCTION.  13 

term  to  designate  "  the  man  of  sin"  of  the  apostle 
Paul,  the  "little  horn"  of  Daniel,  and  the  "beast" 
predicted  by  John. 

The  very  same  use  is  made  of  this  term  by  Roman- 
ists themselves.  "  But  Antichrist,"  says  Calmet,  "the 
real  Antichrist,  who  is  to  come  before  the  universal 
judgment,  will,  in  himself  include  all  the  marks  of 
wickedness,  which  have  been  separately  extant  in  dif- 
ferent persons,  who  were  his  types  or  forerunners."! 
The  commentator  on  the  Doway  Bible,  in  his  remarks 
upon  the  "  man  of  sin,"  says,  "  It  agrees  with  the 
wicked  and  great  Antichrist,  who  will  come  before 
the  end  of  the  world." 

There  is  also  exegetical  evidence,  that  the  term 
J2ntichrist,m  the  epistles  of  John,  is  legitimately  used 
in  its  application  to  the  head  of  some  great  apostasy 
from  the  Christian  faith.  There  is  strong  probability, 
that  these  epistles  were  written  after  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem.  If  so,  "  the  last  time"  of  John,  cannot 
refer  to  a  period  just  preceding  the  subversion  of  that 
city.  It  seems  rather  to  be  synonymous  with  "  the 
latter  times,"  spoken  of  by  Paul.  Nor  is  there  any 
objection  to  this  in  the  fact,  that  John  says,  "  Even 
now  are  there  many  Antichrists."  The  apostle  Paul 
makes  the  same  statement  concerning  "the  man  of 
sin" — "The  mystery  of  iniquity  doth  already  work." 
Each  of  these  apostles  too,  represents  the  person,  or 
persons  of  whom  they  speak,  as  those  who  had  de- 
parted from  the  Christian  faith.  "Now  the  Spirit 
speaketh  expressly,  says. Paul,  that  in  the  latter  times, 
some  shall  depart  from  the  faith."  John  also  des- 
cribes his  Antichrist,  or  Antichrists,  as  those  who 
"deny  the  Father  and  the  Son,"  and  as  persons  who 
"  went  out"  from  the  church. 

The  true  interpretation  of  these  passages  seems  to 
be  the  following :  The  Spirit  of  God  had  revealed  to 
the  apostles,  that  at  some  future  period  there  would 
be  a  great  corruption  of  the  Christian  faith.  Even  in 
their  own  day  there  were  some,  who  had  begun  al- 

*  In  verbo. 

2 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

ready  to  depart  from  that  faith  and  to  corrupt  it. 
These  the  apostles  considered  as  the  forerunners  of 
those  later  apostates,  who  would  more  generally  and 
dreadfully  pervert  the  gospel  of  Christ.  In  a  more 
general  way  therefore,  they  classify  them  all  together, 
but  give  a  more  particular  description  of  the  later  and 
more  notable  apostates. 

The  preceding  observations  and  authorities  will 
justify,  it  is  hoped,  the  use  of  the  term  Antichrist 
as  employed  in  this  volume.  As  the  writer  firmly 
believes  that  the  "little  horn"  of  Daniel,  the  "man 
of  sin"  of  Paul,  and  "  the  beast"  of  John,  all  symbo- 
lize the  papal  power,  he  has  felt  no  hesitation,  in  ap- 
plying the  word  Antichrist  directly  to  that  power. 

The  author  has  also  to  state,  that  the  motive  which 
has  led  him  to  unite  the  two  subjects,  Christ  and 
Antichrist,  into  one  volume,  is  that  the  two  sets  of 
testimonies  may  act  with  reciprocal  force  upon  each 
other.  The  first  argument  is  with  the  Jew,  "  beloved 
for  the  fathers'  sake ;"  the  second  is  with  the  Roman- 
ist, pitied  for  the  Saviour's  sake.  The  same  mode  of 
proof  is  employed  in  both  cases.  And  it  is  sincerely 
hoped,  that  if  the  Jew  shall  see  any  reason  from  these 
pages,  why  the  Romanist  should  be  convinced,  he 
may  also  find  something  to  lead  him  to  his  own  Mes- 
siah; and  that  if  the  Romanist  shall  here  find  any 
thing  which  he  supposes  ought  to  satisfy  the  Israelite, 
he  may  also  discover  reasons  to  renounce  his  own 
system  of  error. 

It  is  not,  however,  for  either  Jews  or  Romanists 
that  these  pages  are  chiefly  written.  The  specific 
object  is,  to  convince  men  in  general,  that  the  Papacy 
is  the  Antichrist  predicted  in  the  word  of  God.  Most 
who  will  read  these  pages,  are  Christians,  at  least  in 
name.  They  have  no  doubt,  but  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ.  The  author,  therefore,  proceeds,  upon  the 
same  ground  on  which  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  is 
established,  to  prove  the  Antichristian  character  of 
the  Papal  power.  To  his  own  mind,  the  one  set  of 
arguments  is  as  strong  as  the  other;  so,  that  if  it  be 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

admitted,  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  he  sees  not  how  it 
can  well  be  denied,  that  the  Papacy  is  the  Antichrist. 

There  is  a  strange  similarity  on  this  subject,  be- 
tween the  infatuations  of  the  child  of  Abraham  and 
the  disciple  of  the  Pope.  Both  are  looking  for  the 
proper  subjects  of  these  prophecies  as  yet  future.  To 
the  Jew,  Messiah  is  yet  to  come.  Jesus  to  him  is  an 
impostor,  a  malefactor;  his  death  was  merited,  his 
name  is  to  be  execrated.  To  the  Romanist,  Antichrist 
is  yet  to  come;  he  is  to  arise  but  a  little  this  side  the 
last  day.  To  him  the  Papal  is  the  only  true  church, 
nor  is  there  salvation  in  any  other.  Here  is  agree- 
ment, a  strange  agreement  in  infatuation  and  delusion ! 
Surely  God  hath  "blinded  their  eyes"  and  given  them 
up  to  their  own  understandings. 

Possibly  some  may  think,  that  in  a  few  of  the  chap- 
ters, sufficient  regard  has  not  been  had  to  the  unity 
of  the  argument.  These  apparent  digressions  have 
been  indulged  in,  to  exhibit  more  fully  by  contrast, 
the  Christian  and  Antichristian  systems.  Popery  never 
looks  more  deformed  than  when  brought  into  com- 
parison with  true  Christianity. 

That  God  may  bless  this  volume  for  the  promotion 
of  the  truth,  and  the  advancement  of  his  own  glory, 
is  the  sincere  desire  of  the  author. 


PART  I. 
CHKIST; 

OR 

JESUS    OF   NAZARETH 

PROVED    TO    BE 

THE  MESSIAH. 


INTRODUCTORY  REMARKS. 


If  it  be  admitted,  that,  as  a  transgressor,  man  needs 
a  Saviour,  and  that  one  has  been  provided  for  him ; 
then,  all  the  evidence  which  establishes  the  personal 
identity  of  such  a  Saviour,  must  be  considered  as  in- 
vested with  fearful  interest.  Who  is  he  ?  When  did 
he  appear?  What  is  his  character?  What  has  he 
done  ?  How  is  an  interest  in  him  to  be  secured  ? 
These,  and  similar  questions,  a  serious  and  reflecting 
mind  will  not  only  propose,  but  desire  to  them  all 
satisfactory  answers. 

The  mere  knowledge  of  the  fact,  that  we  need  a 
Saviour,  however  deeply  felt,  cannot  save  us:  nor 
can  any  reliance,  however  strong,  we  repose  in  a  pre- 
tended deliverer,  secure  our  everlasting  peace.  In 
the  former  state  of  mind,  we  only  perceive  the  ruin 
in  which  sin  has  involved  us,  without  being  rescued 
from  such  ruin.  In  the  latter,  our  reliance  being 
placed  upon  a  false  foundation,  must,  of  course,  dis- 
appoint us,  when  the  time  of  trial  comes. 

Besides,  one  who  undertakes  to  rescue  us  from  sin 
and  death,  must  demand  our  confid-ence,  and  ought 
to  receive  both  our  homage  and  our  obedience.  But 
how  can  that  confidence  be  demanded  by  one  un- 
known ?  And  how  can  such  homage  and  obedience 
be  rendered  to  one,  whose  merits  and  character  are 
concealed? 

The  very  existence  therefore,  of  spiritual  character, 
and  of  a  well  founded  hope  for  eternity,  must  depend 
upon  a  proper  knowledge  of  Him,  whom  God  hath 
sent  "  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil,"  and  "  to 
bring  in  everlasting  righteousness." 

What  then,  is  the  nature  and  strength  of  the  evi- 


20  INTRODUCTORY    REMARKS. 

dence,  upon  which  Christians  have  so  uniformly  re- 
garded Jesus  of  Nazareth,  and  none  other,  as  their 
great  Deliverer  and  Hope  ?  It  is  known,  that  the 
Jews  as  a  race,  do  not  agree  with  Christians  in  this 
faith.  It  is  known,  that  the  larger  portion  of  the 
world  are  altogether  ignorant  of  such  a  person  as 
Jesus.  It  is  also  lamentably  true,  that  many,  who 
are  familiar  with  his  name  and  history,  yet  reject  him 
as  a  Saviour.  Why  is  it,  that  in  distinction  from  all 
these,  Christians  repose  their  trust  in  Jesus,  and  make 
him,  and  him  only,  the  foundation  of  their  hope  for 
eternity  ? 

The  ground  upon  which  such  confidence  is  reposed 
in  Jesus,  can  of  course  be  none  other,  than  the  firm 
conviction,  that  he  is  in  truth  the  great  Deliverer, 
promised  to  mankind  from  even  the  earliest  ages.  If 
deceived  on  this  point,  all  Christians  are  in  a  dreadful 
delusion ;  and,  notwithstanding  their  most  sanguine 
hopes,  must  still  be  under  the  power  of  sin  and  the 
displeasure  of  God.  On  the  contrary,  if  Christians 
be  not  deceived  in  their  faith,  and  if  indeed,  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  be  the  promised  Messiah,  and  "the  only 
name  given  under  heaven  whereby  men  must  be 
saved  ; "  then  are  the  rest  of  mankind  in  a  most 
perilous  and  dreadful  condition.  Whether  therefore 
the  one  or  the  other  be  in  error,  the  evidence,  which 
substantiates  the  claims  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth  to  Mes- 
siahship,  can  be  considered  only  with  the  deepest  in- 
terest. It  is  that  evidence  which  we  now  proceed  to 
exhibit. 


CHRIST  PROVED  TO  BE  THE  MESSIAH. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   GENEALOGY  OF   JESUS. 

One  sign,  which  was  to  designate  the  person  of  the 
promised  Messiah,  was,  his  regular  descent  from 
Abraham,  through  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  family  of 
David.  If  the  will  of  God  had  so  determined,  the 
Messiah  might  have  descended  from  any  other  nation 
than  the  Israelites,  or  from  any  other  tribe  than  Judah, 
or  from  any  other  family  than  that  of  David.  But 
since  the  purpose  of  God  has  marked  out  successively, 
Abraham,  Judah,  and  David,  as  the  lineal  ancestors 
of  the  promised  Saviour,  it  is  in  that  line,  and  that 
only,  that  we  must  expect  his  birth.  And  should 
every  other  part  of  the  evidence  be  complete,  and  yet 
this  be  wanting,  it  conld  not  be  proved,  that  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  is  really  the  Christ.  He  might  have  been  an 
illustrious  prophet;  he  might  have  been  a  great 
"  teacher  sent  from  God;"  his  life  might  have  been 
the  most  blameless  and  pure,  and  his  doctrine  the  most 
exalted  and  heavenly;  he  might  too,  have  effected  a 
great  moral  change  among  the  Jews,  and  also  in  the 
state  of  the  world  generally ;  still  his  claims  to  Mes- 
siahship  could  not  be  established,  unless  he  were  born 
in  the  predicted  line  of  ancestry. 

When  God  called  Abraham  from  Ur  of  Chaldea, 
among  other  promises,  he  gave  him  the  following, 
"And  in  thee  shall  all  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed." 
Gen.  xii.  This  promise  was  afterwards  repeated  when 
Abraham  was  called  to  offer  up  his  son  Isaac.  Gen. 
xxii.  Now,  whatever  blessings  mankind  may  in 
general  have  derived  from  the  Israelites,  it  is  evi- 

3* 


22  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

dent,  that  this  promise  refers  to  the  Messiah.  The 
Apostle  Paul  has  given  us  its  true  exegesis — "  He 
saith  not,  and  to  seeds,  as  of  many,  but  as  of  one, 
and  to  thy  seed,  which  is  Christ."  Gal.  iii.  The 
Messiah  then  was  to  be  a  lineal  descendant  of 
Abraham. 

He  was  also  to  descend  from  the  tribe  of  Judah. 
When  the  patriarch  Jacob  was  blessing  his  sons,  he 
pronounced,  by  divine  inspiration,  the  following  re- 
markable prediction  concerning  Judah:  "The  sceptre 
shall  not  depart  from  Judah,  nor  a  lawgiver  from  be- 
tween his  feet,  until  Shiloh  come,  and  unto  him  shall 
the  gathering  of  the  people  be."  Gen.  xlix.  Whatever 
criticisms  the  learned  may  have  made  upon  this  pas- 
sage, the  opinion  has  almost  universally  obtained, 
both  among  Jews  and  Christians,  that  its  reference  is 
to  the  Messiah  as  descended  from  the  tribe  of  Judah. 
"The  Jews/'  says  Hengstenberg,  "regard  verse  10th, 
as  predicting  the  Messiah.  Thus  it  was  interpreted 
by  the  Chaldaic  paraphrases;  the  Targum  of  Ou- 
kelos,  of  Jerusalem,  and  of  Jonathan;  the  Talmud, 
the  Zohar,  and  the  old  book  Bereshith  Rabba ;  and 
even  by  several  of  the  more  modern  commentators, 
as  Jarchi.  The  Samaritans  also  explain  this  pass- 
age of  the  Messiah.  In  the  Christian  church,  the 
Messianic  interpretation  has,  from  the  earliest  times 
been  generally  approved."*  Gesenius  renders  the 
passage  thus — "Judah  shall  not  lay  aside  the  scep- 
tre of  a  leader,  until  he  shall  have  subdued  his  ene- 
mies and  obtained  dominion  over  many  nations ;  re- 
ferring to  the  expected  Kingdom  of  the  Messiah,  who 
was  to  spring  from  the  tribe  of  Judah."t 

The  same  reference  to  the  Messiah,  as  descended 
from  the  tribe  of  Judah,  is  to  be  found  in  Psalm  cviii, 
where  it  is  said  of  that  tribe,  "Judah  is  my  lawgiver." 
This  passage  may  have  primary  reference  to  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  throne  in  that  tribe;  but  its  allu- 
sion evidently  extends  farther,  and  designates  that 
future  and  illustrious  Lawgiver,  whom  not  only  the 

*  Chris,  in  loco.  t  Lex.  in  loco. 


THE    MESSIAH.  23 

Jews,  but  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  were  to  obey. 
"  Perfectissime  hoc  completum  in  Christo,"* — says 
Poole — This  is  most  perfectly  fulfilled  in  Christ. 

The  prophet  Isaiah  is  even  more  explicit.  "And 
I  will  bring  forth  a  seed  out  of  Jacob,  and  out  of  Ju- 
dah  an  inheritor  of  my  mountains,  and  mine  elect 
shall  inherit  it,  and  my  servants  shall  dwell  there." 
The  allusion  here  is  so  obvious  as  to  need  no  expla- 
nation. The  Messiah,  therefore,  was  also  to  be  a 
descendant  from  the  tribe  of  Jndah. 

He  was  also  to  be  of  the  house  or  family  of  David. 
"And  thy  house  and  thy  kingdom,"  said  God  to  Da- 
vid, "  shall  be  established  forever  before  thee :  thy 
throne  shall  be  established  forever."  2  Sam.  vii.  The 
Psalmist  in  alluding  to  this  promise,  represents  Jeho- 
vah as  saying — "Once  have  I  sworn  by  my  holiness, 
that  I  will  not  lie  unto  David.  His  seed  shall  endure ; 
and  his  throne  as  the  sun  before  me.  It  shall  be 
established  forever  as  the  moon,  and  as  a  faithful  wit- 
ness in  heaven."  Psalm  lxxxix.  These  promises  in- 
clude specifically  and  with  great  emphasis,  the  per- 
petuity of  the  throne  in  the  house  of  David.  Now, 
from  Solomon  to  Zedekiah,  there  was  included  but  a 
period  of  about  four  hundred  and  thirty  years.  And 
from  Zedekiah  to  the  dispersion  of  the  Jews  by  the 
Romans,  only  a  period  of  about  six  hundred  more: 
unless,  therefore,  the  throne  of  David  be  set  up  in  the 
person  of  Messiah,  these  promises  can  have  no  real 
fulfilment. 

But  the  prophets  are  more  specific — "And  there 
shall  come  forth  a  rod  out  of  the  stem  of  Jesse,  and  a 
branch  shall  grow  out  of  his  roots.  And  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  shall  rest  upon  him.  And  he  shall  not  judge 
after  the  sight  of  his  eyes ;  neither  reprove  after  the 
hearing  of  his  ears :  but  with  righteousness  shall  he 
judge  the  poor,  and  reprove  with  equity  for  the  meek 
of  the  earth.  And  righteousness  shall  be  the  girdle 
of  his  loins,  and  faithfulness  the  girdle  of  his  reins." 
Isa.  xi.     The  reference  of  this  passage  to  the  Messiah 

*  In  loco. 


24  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

is  not  only  proved  by  the  context,  but  also  by  a  simi- 
lar one  in  Jeremiah.  "Behold  the  days  come,  saith 
the  Lord,  that  I  will  raise  unto  David  a  righteous 
Branch ;  and  a  King  shall  reign  and  prosper,  and 
shall  execute  judgment  and  justice  in  the  earth;  and 
this  is  his  name  whereby  he  shall  be  called — The 
Lord  our  Righteousness."  Jer.  xxiii.  But,  even  if 
there  were  any  obscurity  in  these  passages,  there  can 
be  none  in  the  following.  Speaking  of  the  Messiah, 
Isaiah  says — "  Of  the  increase  of  his  government  and 
peace,  there  shall  be  no  end,  upon  the  throne  of  David, 
and  upon  his  kingdom,  to  order  it,  and  to  establish  it 
with  judgment  and  with  justice  from  henceforth  even 
forever."  Isaiah  ix. 

These  prophetic  passages  sufficiently  explain  the 
promise  originally  given  to  David,  and  so  delightfully 
dwelt  upon  by  the  ancient  Israelites  in  their  inspired 
songs.  The  perpetuity  of  David's  throne  and  king- 
dom, was  to  exist  in  the  person  of  the  Messiah  ;  who 
according  to  the  flesh  was  to  be  made  of  the  seed  of 
David.  David  himself  died  soon  after  the  promise 
was  given.  The  line  of  earthly  kings  descending  from 
him,  terminated  in  the  period  of  a  few  centuries. 
Even  the  dependent  and  afflicted  dominion  of  the 
family  of  David  and  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  which  suc- 
ceeded, was  terminated  under  Titus  and  the  Roman 
legions.  All  these  were  to  pass  away.  But  the  king- 
dom of  Messiah  was  to  be  strictly  "  everlasting" 
and  his  dominion  without  end.  In  him,  the  throne  of 
David  was  to  be  re-established,  and  was  destined  to 
continue  "forever." 

The  descent  then  of  the  Messiah  was  to  be  through 
Abraham,  Judah,  David.  Any  other  descent  there- 
fore must  destroy  the  title  and  defeat  the  claims  of 
him,  who  pretends  to  be  the  subject  of  these  remark- 
able predictions.  Was  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  of  sucfy 
descent? 

This  question  is  both  fully  and  satisfactorily  an- 
swered in  the  New  Testament.  The  evangelists,  Mat- 
thew and  Luke,  have  each  given  genealogies  of  Jesus, 
the  express  object  of  which  was  to  exhibit  these  facts. 


THE    MESSIAH.  25 

These  tables  are  in  many  respects  different ;  but  itl 
that  which  is  essential,  they  perfectly  agree.  Luke 
traces  the  genealogy  of  Jesus  to  Adam ;  Matthew- 
only  to  Abraham.  Luke  follows  either  the  line  of 
Mary's  ancestry,  or  of  Joseph's  legal  ancestry  ;  Mat- 
thew that  of  Joseph's  natural  ancestry.  From  Jesus 
to  David,  Luke  mentions  forty-two  names  ;  Matthew 
but  twenty-seven.  Matthew  has  also  omitted  three 
names  found  in  First  Chronicles,  chapter  iii. 

Now,  notwithstanding  these  discrepancies,  and  the 
various  methods  adopted  by  the  learned  to  reconcile 
them,  the  facts,  about  which  we  are  inquiring,  are 
obvious  in  both  tables.  Each  evangelist  traces  the 
genealogy  of  Jesus  to  David.  They  take  different 
routes,  but  arrive  here  at  the  same  point.  Nor  is  there 
the  least  variation  between  them  from  David,  through 
Judah  to  Abraham.  Here  the  tables  perfectly  agree, 
and  the  testimony  of  each  is,  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
was  lineally  descended  from  David,  Judah,  Abraham. 

In  explanation  of  the  differences  between  these  ta- 
bles, the  following  observations  of  Bloomfield  will  be 
found  appropriate.  "  As  to  the  reconciling  this  (Mat- 
thew's) genealogy  with  that  of  St.  Luke,  it  is  best 
done,  by  supposing  that  St.  Matthew  gives  the  ge- 
nealogy of  Joseph,  and  St.  Luke  that  of  Mary.  And 
therefore  the  former,  who  wrote  principally  for  the 
Jews,  traces  the  pedigree  from  Abraham  to  David,  and 
so  through  Solomon's  line  to  Joseph  the  legal  father 
of  Jesus.  And  it  must  be  remembered,  that  among 
the  Jews,  legal  descent  was  always  reckoned  in  the 
male  line.  St.  Luke,  on  the  contrary,  who  wrote  for 
the  Gentiles,  traces  the  pedigree  upwards  from  Heli, 
the  father  of  Mary,  to  David  and  Abraham,  and 
thence  to  Adam,  the  common  father  of  all  mankind. 
Finally,  whatever  difficulties,  even  after  all  the  dili- 
gence of  learned  inquirers,  shall  exist  on  certain  mat- 
ters connected  with  these  genealogies,  we  may  rest 
assured,  that  if  these  genealogies  of  Christ,  which 
must  be  understood  to  have  been  derived  from  the 
public  records  in  the  Temple,  had  not  been  agreeable 
thereto,  the  deception  would  have  been  instantly  de- 


2b  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

tected.  And  thus,  whether  Christ's  pedigree  be  traced 
through  the  line  of  Joseph  or  of  Mary,  it  is  undenia- 
ble, that  Jesus  was  descended  from  David  and  Abra- 
ham, agreeably  to  the  ancient  promises  and  prophe- 
sies that  the  Messiah  should  be  of  their  seed."* 

The  following  statements  from  the  learned  Dr. 
Clarke  are  also  valuable.  "Mary  therefore  appears 
to  have  been  the  daughter  of  Heli.  Joseph  and 
Mary  were  of  the  same  family;  both  came  from 
Zerubbabel ;  Joseph  from  Abiud,  his  eldest  son ; 
Mary  by  Rhesa  his  youngest.  Thus  it  appears,  that 
Jesus,  son  of  Mary,  re-united  in  himself  all  the  blood, 
privileges,  and  rights,  of  the  whole  family  of  David; 
in  consequence  of  which  he  is  emphatically  called, 
the  son  of  David."\ 

There  is  another  remarkable  fact  recorded  in  the 
New  Testament,  which  casts  light  upon  the  ancestral 
descent  of  Jesus.  Luke  records  it  in  the  following 
manner — "And  it  came  to  pass  in  those  days,  that 
there  went  out  a  decree  from  Caesar  Augustus,  that  all 
the  world  should  be  taxed.  And  all  went  to  be  taxed 
every  one  to  his  own  city.  And  Joseph  also  went  up 
from  Galilee,  out  of  the  city  of  Nazareth,  into  Judea, 
unto  the  city  of  David,  which  is  called  Bethlehem 
(because  he  was  of  the  house  and  lineage  of  David) 
to  be  taxed,  with  Mary  his  espoused  wife."  Luke  ii. 
Here  is  an  event  in  which  we  see  most  clearly  the 
hand  of  Divine  Providence.  The  emperor  Augustus 
makes  a  decree,  which  in  its  operation,  requires  every 
Jew  to  be  enrolled  in  his  own  family  and  tribe.  The 
names  of  Joseph  and  Mary  are  entered  at  Bethlehem, 
as  belonging  to  the  house  of  David.  What  a  re- 
markable occurrence  !  What  a  public  and  authentic 
attestation  of  the  real  ancestry  of  Jesus!  The  hum- 
ble circumstances  of  Joseph  and  Mary;  their  remote- 
ness especially  from  the  ordinary  dwelling-place  of 
the  illustrious  family  of  David,  might  have  obscured 
the  ancestry  of  their  extraordinary  Son.  But  a  cir- 
cumstance occurs  forever  to  dispel  all  doubt  on  that 

*  Notes  on  Mat.  t  Notes  on  Luke. 


THE    MESSIAH.  27 

subject.  By  an  imperial  mandate,  they  are  enrolled 
at  Bethlehem,  as  the  descendants  of  the  royal  house 
of  the  son  of  Jesse! 

But  there  are  a  great  many  different  passages  in 
the  New  Testament,  which  distinctly  state,  that  the 
genealogy  of  Jesus  was  such  as  the  Old  Testament 
Scriptures  had  assigned  to  the  Messiah.  Thus  the 
Apostle  Paul  declares,  that  Christ  "took  not  on  him 
the  nature  of  angels,  but  the  seed  of  Abraham."  Heb. 
ii.  Again  he  affirms,  that  "it  is  evident,  that  our  Lord 
(that  is  Jesus)  sprang  out  of  Juda."  Heb.  vii.  Zach- 
ariah  also  speaks  of  Jesus  as  "a  horn  of  salvation 
raised  up  in  the  house  of  David."  Luke  i.  Peter 
affirms,  that  Jesus  was  "the  fruit  of  the  loins"  of  Da- 
vid, Acts  ii;  and  Paul,  that  Christ, "was  made  of  the 
seed  of  David  according  to  the  flesh."  In  truth,  so 
numerous  are  the  statements  of  this  sort  to  be  found 
in  the  writings  of  the  Apostles,  that  it  is  impossible  to 
deny,  that  their  plain,  uniform,  and  invariable  tes- 
timony is,  that  Jesus  was  descended  from  David, 
Judah,  Abraham. 

The  evidence  then,  in  behalf  of  the  Messiahship  of 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  so  far  as  ancestral  descent  is  con- 
cerned, imperfect.  The  purpose  of  God  and  prophecy 
require,  that  the  Messiah  should  be  descended  through 
certain  persons,  specially  designated,  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment Scriptures.  The  Evangelists  and  Apostles  fur- 
nish indisputable  testimony, that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was 
thus  descended.  His  genealogy,  both  legal  and  nat- 
ural, passes  through  these  very  persons.  The  most 
authentic  records  are  employed  to  show,  that  these 
were  his  ancestors.  And  those  who  knew  him  best, 
never  considered  him  as  belonging  to  any  other yawi- 
ily,  tribe  or  nation. 


28  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 


CHAPTER    II 


THE   BIIITH   OF   JESUS. 


Besides  the  evidence  arising  from  the  previously  de- 
fined ancestors  of  the  Messiah,  there  was  to  be  one 
circumstance  connected  with  his  birth,  so  peculiar  and 
extraordinary,  as  to  point  him  out  in  distinction  from 
all  others — He  was  to  be  bom  of  a  virgin*  True,  a 
fact  of  this  kind  might  be  of  more  difficult  proof  than 
many  others,  in  the  life  of  the  promised  Saviour. 
Delicacy  too,  would  naturally  cast  a  veil  over  it  for 
a  time.  Still  however,  it  might  be  proved ;  and 
when  proved,  it  would  powerfully  tend,  not  only  to 
identify  the  person  of  the  Messiah,  but  to  demonstrate 
also,  the  extraordinary  character  of  his  mission. 

In  Genesis  iii.  15,  are  these  words,  "And  I  will  put 
enmity  between  thee  and  the  woman,  and  between  thy 
seed  and  her  seed;  it  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou 
shalt  bruise  his  heel."  The  reference  in  this  passage 
is  evidently  to  the  Messiah.  We  have  already  seen 
that  the  term  seed,  employed  in  the  promise  given  to 
Abraham,  refers  to  the  predicted  Saviour.  The  same 
allusion  is  intended  by  the  word  in  the  present  in- 
stance. The  Messiah  was  to  be,  not  only  a  son  of 
Abraham  by  natural  descent,  but  a  son  of  the  woman, 
by  miraculous  conception  and  birth. 

That  which  is  here  affirmed  of  this  seed  is  applica- 
ble only  to  the  Messiah.  He  was  to  bruise  the  head, 
that  is,  to  overthrow  the  kingdom  of  the  serpent,  or 
Satan.  But  who  is  competent  to  a  work  of  this  kind, 
save  the  chosen  of  God,  the  Saviour  of  men?  Nor 
was  Eve  the  specific  woman  alluded  to  in  this  pro- 
mise. The  Messiah  was  not  born  of  her;  for,  he  was 
afterwards  promised  to  Abraham  and  David.  Eve, 
therefore,  could  not  be  the  woman  here  meant.     The 


THE    MESSIAH.  29 

prophecy  must  therefore  refer  to  some  other  woman, 
who  should  exist  in  after  ages.  '-He,  (Christ)  says 
Scott,  is  called  the  seed  of  the  woman,  and  not  the 
seed  of  Ad  din,  though  descended  from  both;  not  only 
because  Satan  had  prevailed  first  against  the  woman, 
but  likewise  with  an  evident  prophetic  intimation  of 
his  miraculous  conception  and  birth  of  a  pure  vir- 
gin."* "Christ  is  called  the  seed  of  the  woman, 
says  Lowth,  by  way  of  distinction,  as  not  to  be  born  in 
the  ordinary  way  of  generation."!  Bloomiield  also 
speaks  of  Mary,  as  "that  particular  virgin  who  was 
prophesied  of  from  the  beginning,  and  whose  seed 
was  to  bruise  the  serpent's  head.":j: 

The  prophet  Isaiah,  is  still  more  explicit,  in  pre- 
dicting the  miraculous  birth  of  the  promised  Deliverer. 
"And  he  said,  Hear  ye  now,  0  house  of  David!  Is  it  a 
small  thing  for  you  to  weary  men ;  but  will  ye  weary 
my  God  also?  Therefore,  the  Lord  himself  shall  give 
you  a  sign.  Behold,  a  virgin  shall  conceive  and  bear  a 
son,  and  shall  call  his  name  Immanuel."  Isa.vii.  13,14. 
Attempts  have  been  made  to  explain  away  the  mean- 
ing of  this  passage,  by  asserting  that  the  Hebrew  word 
nrbp  here  translated  a  virgin,  denotes  also  a  young 
married  woman,  and  by  applying  the  language  either 
to  the.  son  of  the  prophet  himself,  or  to  some  other 
child,  born  about  that  time.  This  mode  of  interpre- 
tation seems  almost  inexcusable  in  Christian  com- 
mentators, from  the  fact  that  the  Evangelist  Matthew 
applies  the  passage  directly  to  Mary  and  to  Jesus.  A 
safer  expositor,  no  plain  and  honest  believer  could 
desire.  Gesenius,  although  he  asserts  the  meaning  of 
the  word  in  this  place  to  be,  "a  youthful  spouse,"  yet 
defines  it  as  generally  meaning,  "a  girl,  maiden,  or 
virgin,  of  marriageble  age."§  "The  primary  mean- 
ing of  the  word,  says  Lowth,  is  hid,  or  concealed; 
from  whence  it  is  taken  to  signify  a  virgin,  because 
of  the  custom  in  eastern  countries,  to  keep  their  vir- 
gins concealed  horn  the  view  of  men."||     The  He- 

*  In  loco.  +  On  Isaiah.  t  Com.  on  Mat. 

§  Heb.  Lex.  in  verbo.       ,||  On  Isaiah. 


30  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

brew  word,  says  Scott,  most  properly  signifies  a  vir- 
gin; and  so  it  is  translated  here,  by  all  the  ancient 
interpreters,  and  it  is  never  once  used  in  the  Scrip- 
tures in  any  other  sense."* 

There  is,  however,  another  and  very  obvious  objec- 
tion to  the  application  of  this  language  in  the  man- 
ner above  alluded  to.  The  birth  of  the  predicted 
child  was  to  be  a  sign,  a  miracle.  Now,  what  sign 
or  miracle  could  it  be,  that  a  young  married  woman 
should  bear  a  son  ?  Evidently,  the  force  and  pro- 
priety of  the  language,  are  entirely  destroyed  by  such 
an  interpretation.  Nor  is  it  any  objection  to  the  Mes- 
sianic character  of  the  passage,  that  in  the  context, 
the  prophet  alludes  so  much  to  the  existing  state  of 
things  among  the  Jews.  It  is  the  usual  practice  of 
the  ancient  prophets,  not  only  to  make  rapid  transi- 
tions in  their  subjects,  but  also  to  mingle  their  predic- 
tions of  the  Messiah,  and  his  kingdom,  with  the  state 
of  the  Jewish  commonwealth  around  them.  The  lat- 
ter was  a  sort  of  prophetic  observatory,  from  which 
these  holy  men  contemplated  and  described  the  more 
distant  objects  under  the  Messiah's  reign,  a  sort  of 
national  prism,  casting  its  various  hues  upon  the 
glories  of  the  latter  day. 

The  name  also  of  the  predicted  child,  forbids  the 
application  of  this  passage  to  any  ordinary  Jewish 
family — "And  shall  call  his  name  Immanuel"  This 
name  which  is  made  up  of  three  Hebrew  words  com- 
bined, means  literally,  God-with-us.  Now,  it  is  cer- 
tain, that  such  a  name  was  really  given  to  no  child 
born  at  the  time,  of  which  we  have  any  account.  It 
is  also  certain,  that  such  a  name  could  be  appropri- 
ately given  to  no  ordinary  Jewish  child  whatever. 
Of  whom,  but  of  the  promised  Son  of  David,  the 
Messiah,  could  such  a  name  be  descriptive  ?  He  and 
he  only,  could  be,  "God-with-us." 

If  then  we  associate  these  passages  together,  we 
have  two  distinct  and  positive  declarations,  the  one 
made  immediately  by  God  himself,  the  other  by  a 

*  In  loco. 


THE    MESSIAH.  31 

prophet  in  his  name,  that  the  promised  Saviour  was 
to  be  virgin-born;  that  he  was  to  be  peculiarly  and 
independently  the  woman }s  son.  How  do  these  pro- 
phecies apply  to  Jesus  of  Nazareth? 

The  circumstances  and  manner  of  his  birth  are  thus 
given  by  Luke:  "And  in  the  sixth  month,  the  angei 
Gabriel  was  sent  from  God  unto  a  city  of  Galilee, 
named  Nazareth,  to  a  virgin  espoused  to  a  man 
whose  name  was  Joseph,  of  the  house  of  David  ;  and 
the  virgin's  name  was  Mary.  And  the  angel  came 
in  unto  her  and  said,  Hail,  thou  that  art  highly 
favoured;  the  Lord  is  with  thee.  Blessed  art  thou 
among  women.  And  when  she  saw  him,  she  was 
troubled  at  his  saying,  and  cast  in  her  mind,  what 
manner  of  salutation  this  should  be.  And  the  angel 
said  unto  her.  Fear  not  Mary,  for  thou  hast  found 
favour  with  God.  And  behold  thou  shalt  conceive  in 
thy  womb,  and  bring  forth  a  son,  and  shalt  call  his  name 
Jesus.  He  shall  be  great,  and  shall  be  called  the  Son 
of  the  Highest:  and  the  Lord  God  shall  give  unto  him 
the  throne  of  his  father  David;  and  he  shall  reign 
over  the  house  of  Jacob  forever;  and  of  his  kingdom 
there  shall  be  no  end.  Then  said  Mary  unto  the 
angel,  How  shall  this  be,  seeing  I  know  not  a  man? 
And  the  angel  aswered  and  said  unto  her ;  The  Holy 
Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee,  and  the  power  of  the 
Highest  shall  overshadow  thee;  therefore  also,  that 
holy  thing  which  shall  be  born  of  thee,  shall  be  called 
the  Son  of  God."  Luke  i.  26-35. 

The  narrative  as  furnished  by  Matthew  is  the  fol- 
lowing: "Now  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ  was  on  this 
wise:  when  as  his  mother  Mary  was  espoused  to 
Joseph,  before  they  came  together,  she  was  found 
with  child  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Then  Joseph  her  hus- 
band, being  a  just  man,  and  not  willing  to  make  her 
a  public  example,  was  minded  to  put  her  away  pri- 
vily. But  while  he  thought  on  these  things,  behold, 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto  him  in  a  dream, 
saying,  Joseph,  thou  son  of  David,  fear  not  to  take 
unto  thee  Mary  thy  wife;  for  that  which  is  conceived 
in  her  is  of  the  Holy  Ghost.     And  she  shall  bring 


32  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

forth  a  son,  and  thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus;  for 
he  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins.  Then  Joseph 
being  raised  from  sleep,  did  as  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
had  bidden  him,  and  took  unto  him  his  wife;  and 
knew  her  not  till  she  had  brought  forth  her  first-born 
son:  and  he  called  his  name  Jesus."  Matt.  i.  18-25. 

Jehovah,  to  execute  his  purposes  of  grace  to  man, 
and  to  fulfil  the  prophecies  previously  delivered,  sends 
an  angel  to  Nazareth  in  Galilee,  to  make  known  to  a 
virgin  there,  that  she  had  been  selected  as  the  mother 
of  the  long  expected  Saviour.  With  conscious  inno- 
cence, but  deep  interest  in  the  tidings  brought,  the 
virgin  states,  what  seemed  to  her  an  insuperable  bar- 
rier to  the  accomplishment  of  the  event  announced. 
Her  doubts  however,  are  removed  by  the  angel,  who 
informs  her,  that  the  birth  of  her  son  was  to  be  mira- 
culous, and  not  ordinary.  Mary  was  at  the  time 
espoused  to  a  man,  also  living  at  Nazareth,  whose 
name  was  Joseph.  Joseph,  in  the  course  of  time  dis- 
covers the  condition  of  his  intended  wife.  He  loves, 
he  esteems  her;  but  being  "a  just  man,"  and  not 
willing  by  a  public  act  of  marriage,  to  cover  a  crime 
he  considered  so  heinous  and  offensive,  he  resolved  to 
give  her  a  bill  of  divorce,  and  thus,  according  to  the 
Jewish  usages,  to  destroy  the  contract  of  marriage 
existing  between  them.  He  determined,  however, 
from  the  regard  he  felt  for  his  intended  bride,  to  do 
this  privately .  While  meditating  upon  these  things, 
an  angel  appears  to  him  also,  and  informs  him,  not 
only  that  Mary  had  not  offended,  but  that  the  child 
she  was  about  to  bring  forth,  was  the  promised  Deli- 
verer of  men.  So  satisfied  was  this  just  and  good 
man  with  the  information  given  him  by  the  angel, 
that  all  his  fears  were  dissipated,  and  he  hesitated  not 
'publicly  to  receive  Mary  as  his  wife,  and  thus  to  be- 
come not  only  her  guardian  and  protector,  but  the 
guardian  and  protector  also,  during  his  infancy  and 
childhood,  of  her  illustrious  Son. 

There  is  in  these  simple  and  undisguised  narra- 
tives, every  possible  appearance  of  truth.  There  is 
nothing  improbable,  that  the  birth  of  a  Saviour  should 


THE    MESSIAH.  33 

be  attended  with  miracle.  And  if  such  a  birth  be 
miraculous,  there  is  nothing  improbable  in  the  visita- 
tion of  angels  on  the  occasion,  and  especially,  of  their 
visitation  to  the  parties  most  deeply  concerned.  The 
reserve  too  and  modesty  of  the  virgin,  the  fears  and 
anxieties  of  Joseph,  the  native  simplicity  which  per- 
vades the  narratives,  all  tend  to  give  great  probability 
to  the  facts  here  staled. 

Besides  the  testimony  of  Mary  and  Joseph  to  the 
miraculous  conception  and  birth  of  Jesus,  another 
witness  is  introduced  by  the  Evangelists.  This  wit- 
ness is  Elizabeth.  Being  informed  by  the  angel  that 
Elizabeth  was  also  about  to  become  the  mother  of 
an  extraordinary  personage,  Mary  pays  her  a  visit. 
Upon  her  entrance  into  the  presence  of  Elizabeth,  the 
latter  is  filled  with  divine  and  extraordinary  influ- 
ences. Under  these  supernatural  impulses,  she  an- 
nounces to  her  visitor  the  very  facts  communicated 
by  the  angel  to  Mary,  and  with  which  she  supposed 
none  acquainted  but  herself.  Luke  i.  39-45.  Eliza- 
beth, herself  a  woman  of  great  piety,  was  the  wife 
of  a  very  reputable  priest,  by  the  name  of  Zacharias. 
Her  testimony,  therefore,  was  well  calculated  to  con- 
firm the  extraordinary  statements  made  by  Mary  and 
Joseph,  concerning  the  supernatural  conception  and 
birth  of  Jesus. 

Nor  would  facts  like  these  be  apt  to  be  withheld 
from  Zacharias,  or  from  the  other  relatives  of  both 
families,  indeed,  of  the  three  families.  Mary  would 
be  likely  to  narrate  them  to  some  at  least  of  her  im- 
mediate and  most  trust-worthy  friends.  Joseph  would 
no  doubt,  make  them  known  to  some  of  his;  and 
Elizabeth  and  Zacharias,  to  some  of  theirs.  By  this 
means,  a  number  of  persons  would  soon  be  informed 
of  these  wonderful  events.  The  near  approach  too 
of  the  long  expected  and  earnestly  desired  Messiah, 
would  be  too  good  news  to  be  kept  altogether  a  secret. 
Modesty,  it  is  true,  together  with  the  extreme  sacred- 
ness  of  the  matter,  might  prevent  clamour  or  commo- 
tion. There  might  be  no  general  fame,  no  wide- 
spread  report.     Still,  however,  there  would  be  found 

4* 


34  CHRIST    PROVED    TO   BE 

a  sufficient  number  of  faithful  hearts,  to  which,  like 
Mary's,  these  wonders  might  be  confided.  And  that 
this  was  really  the  case,  there  can  be  no  doubt.  Mat- 
thew and  Luke  both  speak  of  them  as  of  events  well 
known. 

Nor  can  we  suppose,  that  the  statements  of  the 
Evangelists  are  themselves  but  inventions,  to  embel- 
lish their  history  and  to  exalt  their  hero.  All  the  evi- 
dence which  proves  the  truthfulness  in  general  of  the 
Gospels  written  by  these  two  Evangelists,  will  also  go 
to  establish  the  accuracy  of  these  particular  parts  of 
those  Gospels.  The  facts  here  stated,  therefore,  must 
stand  or  fall  with  the  New  Testament  itself.  Besides, 
had  these  statements  of  the  Evangelists  been  false, 
that  fact  might  easily  have  been  detected.  So  that 
instead  of  adding  to  the  interest  of  their  composition, 
or  to  the  dignity  of  Jesus,  the  imposture  would  have 
produced  just  the  contrary  effect.  The  Evangelists, 
however,  speak  of  these  things,  as  of  facts  worthy 
of  the  utmost  credit ;  of  facts  too,  which  the  subse- 
quent and  illustrious  life  of  Jesus,  served  but  to  con- 
firm and  establish  in  the  minds  of  men.  We  cannot, 
therefore,  without  minds  capable  of  resisting  the 
strongest  evidence,  capable  of  denying  the  positive 
statements  of  the  most  authentic  history,  disbelieve 
the  miraculous  conception  and  birth  of  Jesus  of  Na- 
zareth. His  mother,  Joseph,  Elizabeth,  two  of  his 
disciples,  and  many  of  his  most  intimate  acquain- 
tances, all  agree  in  their  testimony  on  this  point. 

But  if  the  birth  of  Jesus  was  miraculous,  then 
have  we  another,  and  a  most  powerful  proof  of  his 
being  the  Messiah.  According  to  two  express  pro- 
phecies concerning  the  Messiah  in  the  Old  Testament, 
he  was  to  be  "the  woman's  seed,"  "a  virgin's  son." 
He  was  to  be  born,  not  in  the  ordinary  method  of 
human  generation,  but  by  the  exercise  of  Divine  and 
supernatural  power.  A  body  was  to  be  prepared, 
for  the  manifestation  of  the  Godhead  in  human  flesh. 
These  prophecies  have  been  fulfilled  in  the  birth  of 
Jesus.  Nor  have  they  been  fulfilled  in  the  birth  of 
any  other  person  whatever.     Abel,  Noah,  Abraham, 


THE    MESSIAH.  35 

David,  John  and  Peter,  were  all  born  in  the  ordinary 
way.  Even  the  mythological  stories  about  the  birth 
of  Alexander,  Romulus,  JEneas,  and  others,  were  not 
believed  by  the  very  historians,  among  the  Greeks  and 
Romans,  who  narrated  them.  Nor  can  the  history  of 
the  world,  save  the  New  Testament,  produce  one  pro- 
bable case,  of  a  miraculous  conception  and  birth. 
This  has  been  peculiar  to  one  only,  of  all  the  multi- 
tudes that  have  lived  upon  our  globe.  That  one  is 
Jesus.  He,  and  he  only,  was  miraculously  conceived ; 
he,  and  he  only,  was  born  of  a.  pure  virgin.  So  far 
then  as  these  prophecies  are  concerned,  Jesus  must  be 
the  Christ,  must  be  the  promised  Saviour  of  men. 


36  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 


CHAPTER   III. 


THE    BIRTH-rLACE   OF   JESUS. 


Another  indication  of  the  person  of  the  Messiah, 
as  presented  in  prophecy,  is  to  be  found  in  the  place 
of  his  nativity.  He  must  not  only  be  descended  from 
certain  specified  ancestors,  and  born  of  a  virgin,  but 
his  birth  must  occur  in  a  particular  town,  A  birth, 
therefore,  any  where  else,  even  should  it  be  miracu- 
lous, would  destroy  the  claims  of  him  who  might  pre- 
tend to  be  the  Messiah. 

The  designation  of  the  birth-place  of  the  Messiah  is 
thus  given  by  the  prophet  Micah:  "But  thou,  Beth- 
lehem Ephratah,  though  thou  be  little  among  the 
thousands  of  Judah,  yet  out  of  thee  shall  he  come 
forth  unto  me  that  is  to  be  Ruler  in  Israel;  whose  go- 
ings forth  have  been  from  of  old,  from  everlasting." 
Mic.  v.  2.  As  in  most  of  the  ancient  prophecies,  the 
Messiah  is  not  named  in  this  passage:  he  is,  however, 
so  significantly  referred  to,  as  to  render  the  name  alto- 
gether unnecessary.  Long  before  the  days  of  Micah, 
this  remarkable  personage  had  been  revealed  to  the 
Israelites  as  some  great  king,  whom  God  would  set 
over  them.  He  was  to  be  more  righteous  and  wise 
than  other  sovereigns,  and  in  his  day  there  was  to  be 
great  peace  and  prosperity.  Such  prophecies  fixed, 
of  course,  the  eyes  of  all  Israel  on  this  predicted  and 
pre-eminent  Prince.  They  turned  to  him  as  a  bright 
star  in  a  cheerless  night,  and  even  when  oppressed 
and  enslaved,  looked  forward  to  his  day,  as  to  one  of 
deliverance  and  triumph.  When,  therefore,  one  of 
Israel's  own  prophets,  as  he  looks  far  down  the  fu- 
ture, speaks  of  Him,  " who  is  to  be  Ruler  in  Israel" 
certainly  he  can  be  understood  to  refer  to  none  else, 


THE    MESSIAH.  37 

but  to  that  distinguished  Sovereign,  the  Messiah, 
whom  the  Lord  God  was  to  raise  up  in  the  latter  day. 

The  reference  in  this  passage  evidently  cannot  be 
to  David.  Micah,  as  both  the  title  and  the  contents 
of  the  book  prove,  prophesied  in  the  days  of  Jotham, 
Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah;  that  is,  about  two  hundred  and 
sixty  years  after  the  reign  of  David.  Nor  can  the 
reference  in  this  passage  be  to  any  of  the  royal  de- 
scendants and  successors  of  David.  Josiah  was  the 
only  one  of  any  note  among  them,  who  filled  the 
throne  after  the  days  of  Micah.  It  is  evident,  how- 
ever, that  he  is  not  meant;  the  description  does  not 
suit  him,  nor  was  he  born  in  Bethlehem,  but  in  Jeru- 
salem. There  is  no  one  then  to  whom  this  prophecy 
can  be  legitimately  applied,  but  to  that  Great  King, 
the  Messiah,  whom  God,  in  later  times,  was  to  set 
upon  the  throne  of  Israel. 

The  description  here  given  of  the  character  of  this 
extraordinary  Sovereign,  also  limits  the  application  of 
the  passage  to  the  Messiah :  "  His  goings  forth  have 
been  from  of  old,  from  everlasting."  Such  language, 
which  can  in  no  case  be  applied  to  mere  mortals,  is 
precisely  such  as  is  applied  in  many  other  passages 
of  Scripture  to  the  Messiah.  There  is  a  sublimity,  a 
greatness,  a  sort  of  prophetic  obscurity  in  language  of 
this  kind,  which  at  once  indicates  the  person  to  whom 
it  is  to  be  referred,  and  marks  out,  as  with  the  light  of 
sunbeams,  the  extraordinary  character  both  of  his 
nature  and  office. 

The  ancient  Jews  also  uniformly  applied  this  pass- 
age to  the  Messiah.  When  a  number  of  them  were 
almost  persuaded  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ,  others 
said,  "Shall  Christ  come  out  of  Galilee?  Hath  not 
the  Scripture  said,  that  Christ  cometh  of  the  seed  of 
David,  and  out  of  the  town  of  Bethlehem,  where  Da- 
vid was?"  John  vii.  47.  The  objection  here  raised,  was 
to  the  supposed  fact  that  Jesus  was  born  at  Nazareth 
in  Galilee.  The  very  objection  however  proves  that 
Bethlehem  was  to  be  the  birth-place  of  the  Messiah. 

We  have,  however,  not  simply  the  opinion  of  the 
multitude  on  this  subject.     The  Sanhedrim,  the  high- 


38  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

est  court  formerly  of  the  Jewish  nation,  expressed  the 
same  sentiment.  Herod,  alarmed  at  the  visit  of  cer- 
tain Eastern  Magi,  who  had  come  to  Jerusalem  to 
inquire  after  him  "who  was  born  king  of  the  Jews," 
instituted  the  inquiry  before  this  celebrated  council, 
"where  Christ  was  to  be  born?"  The  answer  given 
was,  "In  Bethlehem  of  Judea;  for  thus  it  is  written 
by  the  prophet:  "And  thou,  Bethlehem  in  the  land  of 
Judah,  art  not  the  least  among  the  princes  of  Judah; 
for  out  of  thee  shall  come  a  Governor,  that  shall  rule 
my  people  Israel."  Matt.  ii.  5,  6.  This  is  decisive. 
The  very  text  itself  is  used  by  the  Jewish  Rulers  and 
Rabbins,  to  prove  the  birth-place  of  the  Messiah. 

If  then  this  passage  have  reference  to  the  Messiah, 
it  is  perfectly  clear,  where  that  Messiah  must  be  born; 
not  at  Jerusalem — not  at  Nazareth — not  at  Hebron  or 
Capernaum — but  in  Bethlehem.  Nor  would  any 
place  by  the  name  of  Bethlehem  answer  the  purpose. 
It  must  be  Bethlehem  Ephratah;  that  is,  Bethlehem 
in  the  land  of  Judah,  as  distinguished  from  another 
Bethlehem  in  the  tribe  of  Zebulun.  Any  other  birth- 
place, therefore,  than  that  of  Bethlehem  of  Judah, 
would  destroy  all  other  evidence  of  one's  being  the 
Messiah.     Where  then  ivas  Jesus  of  Nazareth  born? 

And  here,  we  cannot  but  admire  that  overruling  pro- 
vidence of  God,  which  employs,  not  only  various,  but 
often  apparently  contradictory  means,  to  effect  its  pur- 
poses. Joseph  and  Mary  had  been  living  at  Nazareth, 
a  town  in  Galilee.  It  was  in  this  town  they  had  seen 
their  extraordinary  visions.  It  was  in  this  town  they 
had  loved,  had  wedded.  Nor  had  the  visiting  angel  in- 
formed them,  that  Bethlehem  must  be  the  birth-place 
of  the  predicted  child.  Nor  did  Joseph  and  Mary 
seem  at  all  to  suppose  that  the  birth  of  their  son,  oc- 
curring at  Nazareth,  would  vitiate  his  claims  to  Mes- 
siahship.  Probably  the  passage  in  Micah  had  escaped 
their  notice,  or  they  had  forgotten  it.  Of  themselves, 
there  is  not  the  least  probability,  that  they  would  have 
visited  Bethlehem.  The  distance  was  considerable, 
and  the  condition  of  Mary  unsuited  to  the  fatigues  of 
travel.     But  He  who  has  ordained  the  end,  has  also 


THE    MESSIAH.  39 

ordained  the  means.  God  never  forgets  a  promise,  or 
overlooks  a  word  he  has  spoken.  Csesar  Augustus, 
ignorant  alike  of  prophecy  and  of  the  Messiah,  having 
no  knowledge  of  the  Divine  decrees,  nor  any  intention 
to  fulfil  them — holding,  it  may  be,  the  whole  nation  of 
the  Jews  in  contempt,  and  believing  not  a  word  of  all 
their  sacred  writings — this  distant,  and  proud  Empe- 
ror is  made  to  fulfil  a  prophecy,  of  whose  very  existence 
he  was  entirely  ignorant.  Either  to  gratify  his  vanity, 
or  to  fix  a  regular  rate  of  taxation,  the  Emperor  issues 
a  decree,  "that  all  the  world  should  be  taxed;"  that 
is,  enrolled.  To  accomplish  this,  it  was  necessary  for 
each  Jew  to  report  himself  in  his  own  tribe  and  town. 
This  edict,  so  unexpectedly  issued,  brings  Joseph  and 
Mary  from  Nazareth  to  Bethlehem,  just  at  the  time 
when  Mary  was  about  to  be  delivered  of  her  extraor- 
dinary son!  Thus  the  birth  of  Jesus,  which,  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  would  have  occurred  at  Na- 
zareth, was  made  to  happen  at  Bethlehem,  according 
to  the  prediction  of  the  prophet  Micah,  many  centu- 
ries previously. 

But  what  evidence  have  we  that  Jesus  was  really 
born  at  Bethlehem?  To  satisfy  ourselves  on  this 
point,  we  must  consult  the  testimony  given  us  by  the 
two  evangelists,  Matthew  and  Luke.  The  statement 
of  the  latter  is  the  following:  "And  it  came  to  pass  in 
those  days,  that  there  went  out  a  decree  from  Csesar 
Augustus  that  all  the  world  should  be  taxed.  And 
all  went  to  be  taxed,  every  one  to  his  own  city.  And 
Joseph  also  went  up  from  Galilee,  out  of  the  city  of 
Nazareth,  into  Judea,  unto  the  city  of  David,  which 
is  called  Bethlehem ;  (because  he  was  of  the  house  and 
lineage  of  David)  to  be  taxed,  with  Mary  his  espoused 
wife,  being  great  with  child.  And  so  it  was,  that 
while  they  were  there,  the  days  were  accomplished 
that  she  should  be  delivered.  And  she  brought  forth  t 
her  first-born  son,  and  wrapped  him  in  swaddling 
clothes,  and  laid  him  in  a  manger;  because  there  was 
no  room  for  them  in  the  inn.  And  there  were  in  the 
same  country,  shepherds  abiding  in  the  field,  keeping 
watch  over  their  flock  by  night.    And  lo,  the  angel  of 


40  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

the  Lord  came  upon  them,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
shone  about  them;  and  they  were  sore  afraid.  And 
the  angel  said  unto  them,  Fear  not;  for  behold,  I 
bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  which  shall  be  to 
all  people.  For  unto  you  is  born  this  day,  in  the  city 
of  David,  a  Saviour,  which  is  Christ  the  Lord.  And 
this  shall  be  a  sign  unto  you;  ye  shall  find  the  babe 
wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes,  lying  in  a  manger. 
And  suddenly  there  was  with  the  angel  a  multitude 
of  the  heavenly  host,  praising  God  and  saying,  Glory 
to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good-will 
toward  men.  And  it  came  to  pass  as  the  angels  were 
gone  away  from  them  into  heaven,  the  shepherds  said 
one  to  another,  Let  us  now  go  even  unto  Bethlehem, 
and  see  this  thing  which  is  come  to  pass,  which  the 
Lord  has  made  known  unto  us.  And  they  came  with 
haste,  and  found  Mary  and  Joseph,  and  the  babe  lying 
in  a  manger.  And  when  they  had  seen  it,  they  made 
known  abroad  the  saying  which  was  told  them  con- 
cerning this  child.  And  all  they  that  heard  it,  won- 
dered at  those  things  which  were  told  them  by  the 
shepherds."  Luke  ii.  1-18. 

The  narrative  of  Matthew  is  the  following:  "Now 
when  Jesus  was  born  in  Bethlehem  of  Judea,  in  the 
days  of  Herod  the  king,  behold,  there  came  wise  men 
from  the  East  to  Jerusalem,  saying,  Where  is  he  that 
is  born  King  of  the  Jews?  For  we  have  seen  his  star 
in  the  East  and  are  come  to  worship  him.  When 
Herod  the  King  had  heard  these  things,  he  was  trou- 
bled, and  all  Jerusalem  with  him.  And  when  he  had 
gathered  all  the  chief  priests  and  scribes  of  the  peo- 
ple together,  he  demanded  of  them,  where  Christ 
should  be  born.  And  they  said  unto  him,  In  Bethle- 
hem of  Judea.  Then  Herod,  when  he  had  privily 
called  the  wise  men,  inquired  of  them  diligently  what 
time  the  star  appeared.  And  he  sent  them  to  Bethle- 
hem, and  said,  Go  and  search  diligently  for  the  young 
child,  and  when  ye  have  found  him,  bring  me  word 
again,  that  I  may  come  and  worship  him  also.  When 
they  had  heard  the  king  they  departed;  and  lo,  the 
star  which  they  saw  in  the  east,  went  before  them, 


THE    MESSIAH.  41 

till  it  came  and  stood  over  where  the  young  child  was. 
When  they  saw  the  star,  they  rejoiced  with  exceeding 
great  joy.  And  when  they  were  come  into  the  house, 
they  saw  the  young  child  with  Mary  his  mother,  and 
fell  down  and  worshipped  him.  And  when  they  had 
opened  their  treasures,  they  presented  unto  him  gifts; 
gold  and  frankincense  and  myrrh.  And  being  warn- 
ed of  God  in  a  dream,  that  they  should  not  return  to 
Herod,  they  departed  unto  their  own  country  another 
way."     Matt.  ii.  1-12. 

From  these  narratives,  we  infer  the  following  facts 
.concerning  the  birth  of  Jesus  at  Bethlehem.  The 
decree  of  the  Emperor  Augustus,  was  the  palpable 
reason  of  the  visit  of  Joseph  and  Mary  to  that  town. 
Owing  probably  to  the  situation  of  Mary,  their  arri- 
val was  late.  The  best  accommodations,  as  is  usual 
where  great  crowds  collect,  had  already  been  engaged 
and  occupied.  Joseph  and  Mary  are,  therefore,  com- 
pelled to  take  that  part  of  the  caravansary,  or  inn, 
which,  according  to  Eastern  custom,  is  occupied  joint- 
ly by  men  and  cattle.  The  birth  occurs  probably,  the 
very  night  of  their  arrival;  at  any  rate  but  a  short 
time  afterwards.  It  was  the  very  night  of  the  birth, 
and  while  Joseph  and  Mary  were  still  occupying 
their  humble  lodgings,  that  the  shepherds  paid  to  the 
infant  stranger  their  remarkable  visit.  Not  long  after 
this,  Joseph  and  Mary  are  removed  to  a  comfortable 
house.  Either  the  dispersion  of  the  crowd  gave  them 
more  room,  or  the  visit  of  the  shepherds  brought  them 
into  higher  notice.  Shortly  after  this  removal,  the 
visit  of  the  eastern  Magi  occurred,  who,  "when  they 
were  come  unto  the  house,  saw  the  young  child  with 
Mary  his  mother,  and  fell  down,  and  worshipped 
him/'  This  again  was  soon  followed  by  the  des- 
cent into  Egypt,  and  the  bloody  work  of  Herod,  in 
slaughtering  all  the  babes  in  Bethlehem  and  its  coasts, 
in  order  to  destroy  in  the  mass,  the  infant  King  of  the 
Jews. 

In  reference  to  the  evidence  which  these  narratives 
afford,  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  born  at  Bethlehem, 
I  offer  the  two  following  remarks.     It  is  in  the  first 

5 


42  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

place,  not  at  all  probable,  that  the  birth  of  Jesus  at 
Bethlehem  is  a  mere  invention  of  the  Evangelists. 
True,  these  Evangelists  must  have  known,  that  had 
Jesus  been  born  at  Nazareth,  and  not  at  Bethlehem, 
this  one  fact  must  have  invalidated  greatly,  all  their 
testimony  to  his  Messiahship.  Still,  however,  it  was 
impossible  for  them  to  have  transferred  his  birth  from 
Nazareth  to  Bethlehem,  had  he  not  really  been  born 
in  the  latter  town.  It  may  be  difficult  in  the  earliest 
ages  of  society,  to  determine  the  birth-place  of  distin- 
guished men.  Thus,  seven  towns  of  ancient  Greece, 
contended  for  the  honour  of  having  given  birth  to- 
Homer.  No  such  difficulty,  however,  exists  in  a 
more  polished  and  literary  age.  How  impossible 
would  it  be,  for  instance,  for  any  historian  of  the  pres- 
ent age,  to  establish  the  birth  of  Napoleon  at  Paris,  or 
that  of  Washington  at  New  York  !  The  undertaking 
would  be  ridiculed;  and  the  author  who  should  at- 
tempt such  an  imposition  upon  the  credulity  of  an 
enlightened  age,  would  destroy  the  reputation  of  both 
himself  and  his  work  in  the  attempt.  Similarly  situ- 
ated were  the  two  biographers  of  Jesus.  They  lived 
in  the  Augustan  age  of  Roman  literature.  Jesus  too 
was  a  man  so  famed  for  his  doctrines  and  mighty 
works,  as  to  attract  general  attention.  How  absurd, 
then,  must  have  been  the  attempt  of  these  men,  to 
prove  that  he  was  born  at  Bethlehem,  had  he  really 
been  born  at  Nazareth,  or  elsewhere!  The  under- 
taking would  have  been  hazardous  to  themselves,  and 
ruinous  to  their  work. 

Nor  can  we,  in  the  second  place,  suppose  the  Evan- 
gelists to  have  been  deceived,  as  to  the  true  birth-place 
of  Jesus.  So  did  Providence  order  events,  as  to  give 
great  publicity  to  his  birth  at  Bethlehem.  The  decree 
of  Augustus,  the  visit  of  Joseph  and  Mary  to  Beth- 
lehem to  be  taxed,  the  testimony  of  the  shepherds, 
the  unusual  appearance  at  that  time  of  the  eastern 
Magi  in  the  town,  the  subsequent  slaughter  of.  the 
infants — these  were  all  facts  of  so  very  public  a  na- 
ture, as  to  leave  no  doubt  whatever,  concerning  the 
true  birth-blace  of  this  remarkable  personage.     In- 


THE    MESSIAH.  43 

deed,  if  it  be  not  proved  by  these  things  that  Jesns 
was  born  in  Bethlehem-Judah,  then  can  we  establish 
the  birth-blace  of  no  one  whatever.  We  have  the 
testimony  of  his  own  biographers,  the  testimony  of  his 
parents,  the  testimony  of  the  shepherds,  of  the  Magi, 
indeed  the  testimony  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived; 
for  no  one  in  all  that  age  has  even  started  the  doubt, 
that  Jesus  was  not  born  in  Bethlehem-Judah. 

The  testimony,  therefore,  given  by  the  Evangelists 
to  the  true  birth-place  of  Jesus  is  both  reasonable  and 
credible.  It  is  such  as  if  given  by  any  other  histo- 
rians, in  reference  to  the  birth-place  of  any  other  dis- 
tinguished individual,  would  not  be  questioned.  We 
are,  therefore,  bound  to  receive  it.  In  receiving  it, 
however,  we  admit  another  proof,  that  Jesus  of  Na- 
zareth is  the  Messiah.  Micah  had  predicted,  ages 
before,  that  "the  Ruler  of  Israel,"  the  Messiah,  was  to 
come  forth  of  Bethlehem-Judah.  The  Evangelists 
show  to  a  demonstration,  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was 
actually  born  in  that  very  town.  In  this  particular, 
therefore,  does  the  history  of  Jesus,  accord  with  the 
ancient  predictions  concerning  the  Messiah.  And  if 
all  other  parts  of  his  history  shall  agree  as  well  with 
those  predictions,  then  may  Jew  and  Gentile,  yea, 
angels  and  men,  unite  in  the  song,  "Glory  to  God  in 
the  highest :  on  earth  peace,  good  will  towards  men;" 
for  "unto  us  has  been  bom  in  the  city  of  David,  a 
Saviour,  which  is  Christ,  the  Lord." 


44  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

■ 

CHAPTER   IV. 

THE    TIME    WHEN    JESUS    MADE    HIS    APPEARANCE. 


Another  criterion  for  determining  the  person  of  the 
Messiah  was,  the  lime  of  his  appearance.  The  pro- 
phecy, which  most  accurately  fixes  that  time,  is  one 
delivered  by  Daniel.  "Seventy  weeks,"  says  Gabriel, 
"are  determined  upon  thy  people,  and  upon  thy  holy 
city,  to  finish  the  transgression,  and  to  make  an  end 
of  sins,  and  to  make  reconciliation  for  iniquity,  and 
to  bring  in  everlasting  righteousness,  and  to  seal  up 
the  vision  and  prophecy,  and  to  anoint  the  Most  Holy. 
Know  therefore  and  understand,  that  from  the  going 
forth  of  the  commandment  to  build  and  to  restore 
Jerusalem,  unto  the  Messiah,  the  Prince,  shall  be 
seven  weeks,  and  threescore  and  two  weeks ;  the 
street  shall  be  built  again,  and  the  wall  even  in 
troublous  times.  And  after  threescore  and  two 
weeks,  shall  Messiah  be  cut  off,  but  not  for  himself. 
And  the  people  of  the  prince  that  shall  come,  shall 
destroy  the  city  and  the  sanctuary ;  and  the  end 
thereof  shall  be  with  a  flood  ;  and  unto  the  end  of 
the  war  desolations  are  determined.  And  he  shall 
confirm  the  covenant  with  many  for  one  week,  and 
in  the  midst  of  the  week,  he  shall  cause  the  sacrifice 
and  the  oblation  to  cease,  and  for  the  overspreading 
of  the  abominations,  he  shall  make  it  desolate,  even 
until  the  consummation  and  that  determined  shall  be 
poured  upon  the  desolate."   Dan.  ix.  24-27. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  prophecies  in 
the  Old  Testament.  In  many  parts  of  it  there  is  ob- 
scurity, and  critics  have  exhausted  much  time  and 
patience  in  its  elucidation.  Still,  however,  the  lead- 
ing facts  are  remarkably  clear.     It  evidently  refers  to 


THE    MESSIAH.  45 

the  Messiah.  It  both  names  and  describes  him.  It 
also  assigns  a  definite  lime  for  his  appearance.  This 
time  was  sixty-nine  weeks,  or  four  hundred  and 
eighty -three  years,  after  the  issuing  of  the  decree  "to 
restore  and  to  build  Jerusalem  ;  "  or,  it  was  sixty-two 
weeks,  that  is,  four  hundred  and  thirty-four  years, 
after  the  complete  re-establishment  of  Jerusalem  and 
the  Jewish  polity. 

To  understand  this  better,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
observe,  that  the  Jews  had  two  kinds  of  weeks,  one 
of  days,  including  seven  days;  and  another  of  years, 
including  seven  years.  Lev.  xxv.  S.  It  is  evident, 
that  the  former  kind  of  weeks  cannot  be  meant ;  for 
seventy  weeks  of  days,  which  would  be  less  than  a 
year  and  a  half,  would  be  entirely  too  short  a  time, 
even  to  build  Jerusalem,  much  less  to  complete  what 
the  prophet  mentions,  as  occurring  long  after  that 
event.  The  prophet  must  therefore  speak  of  weeks 
of  years.  Seventy  of  such  weeks  would  make  four 
hundred  and  ninety  years-,  which  is  the  whole  space 
of  time  specified  in  the  prophecy. 

This  four  hundred  and  ninety  years  was  to  begin, 
"from  the  going  forth  of  the  commandment  to  restore 
and  to  build  Jerusalem."  The  chief  difficulty  in  the 
application  of  the  prophecy  is,  that  there  were  no  less 
than  four  decrees,  overspreading  a  space  of  at  least 
eighty-four  years,  which  were  issued  by  the  Persian 
kings,  in  reference  to  the  restoration  of  the  Jews. 
The  first  of  these  was  published  by  Cyrus,  (Ezra  i.) 
in  the  first  year  of  his  reign,  and  one  year  after  Daniel 
was  favoured  with  this  revelation.  Dan.  ix.  1.  The 
second  was  published  by  Darius  Hystaspis.  (Ezra  vi.) 
about  sixteen  years  later.  A  third  was  issued  by 
Artaxerxes,  son  of  Xerxes,  in  the  seventh  year  of  his 
reign,  (Ezra  vii.  1,)  which  was  fifty-five  years  after  the 
one  issued  by  Darius,  and  seventy-one  after  that  issued 
by  Cyrus.  Artaxerxes  also  delivered  the  fourth  de- 
cree to  Nehemiah,  in  the  twentieth  year  of  his  reign. 
Neh.  ii.  1. 

Cyrus  founded  the  Persian  empire  about  the  year 
536  before  Christ.     Now,  if  this  prophecy  be  applied 

5* 


46  CHRIST  PROVED    TO    BE 

to  the  edict  published  by  him  in  the  first  year  of  his 
reign,  it  will  fall  short  of  the  vulgar.  Christian  era  by 
forty-six  years.  So  also,  if  it  be  applied  to  the  edict 
of  Darius,  it  will  anticipate  the  period  of  the  birth  of 
Jesus,  about  thirty  years.  Prideaux,  therefore,  and 
many  others  have  selected  the  third  edict,  or  the  one 
published  in  the  seventh  year  of  Artaxerxes,  as  the 
commencement  of  this  prophetic  period.  According 
to  the  data  above,  this  would  bring  the  reckoning 
down  to  the  year  of  our  Lord  2  6,  which  was  about 
the  time  that  John  the  Baptist  began  his  public  minis- 
try. There  are  some  variations  however,  in  the  modes 
of  computing  dates.  Prideaux,  therefore,  makes  the 
termination  of  this  prophecy,  precisely  coincident 
with  the  death  of  Jesus.  "  The  beginning,  therefore, 
says  he,  of  the  seventy  weeks,  or  four  hundred  and 
ninety  years  of  this  prophecy,  was  in  the  month  Nisan 
of  the  Jewish  year,  in  the  seventh  year  of  Artaxerxes 
king  of  Persia,  and  in  the  4256th  of  the  Julian  pe- 
riod, when  Ezra  had  his  commission ;  and  the  end  of 
them  fell  in  the  very  same  month  Nisan,  in  the  4746th 
of  the  Julian  period,  in  which  very  year  and  very 
7nonth,  Christ  our  Lord  suffered  for  us,  and  thereby 
completed  the  whole  work  of  our  salvation,  there 
being  just  seventy  weeks  of  years;  or  four  hundred 
and  ninety  years  from  the  one  to  the  other."* 

Usher,  and  many  others,  are  best  satisfied  with  the 
last  edict,  as  the  one  with  which  to  begin  this  pro- 
phecy. According  to  this  mode  of  reckoning,  the 
seventy  weeks  would  end  Anno  Domini  3S.  Usher 
however,  and  they  who  think  with  him,  employ  lunar 
instead  of  solar  months  in  computing  these  dates. 
They  also  make  allowance  for  some  few  years  during 
which  Artaxerxes  was  associated  with  his  father  in 
the  throne  of  Persia.  Cruden  remarks  on  this  calcu- 
lation as  follows  :  "  This  hypothesis  or  system  seems 
to  be  the  most  rational  of  any  proposed  by  the  an- 
cients, and  is  adhered  to,  some  small  particulars  ex- 

*  Connexions,  Part  I. 


THE    MESSIAH.  47 

cepted,  by  the  greatest  part  of  interpreters  and  chro- 
nologers."* 

It  will  be  seen  however  that  all  of  these  interpreta- 
tions terminate  the  prophecy  within  a  period  of  84 
years  of  each  other ;  that  which  takes  its  beginning 
from  Cyrus,  falling  46  years  before  Jesus  was  born, 
and  that  which  places  it  in  the  20th  of  Artaxerxes, 
terminating  3S  years  after  that  event.  Now,  if  we 
make  some  allowances  for  the  dine  rent  methods  of 
computing  dates,  and  for  some  other  inaccuracies  in  the 
calculations  of  critics  and  commentators,  and  especially 
if  we  keep  it  in  mind,  that  some  of  these  calculations, 
very  nearly,  if  not  precisely  concur,  with  the  epoch  of 
Jesus;  if,  I  say,  we  consider  these  facts,  there  cer- 
tainly is  a  most  remarkable  coincidence  between  the 
prophecy  and  the  history  of  the  Evangelists.  Indeed, 
we  may  affirm  positively,  that  if  this  prophecy  relate 
to  the  Messiah,  of  which  there  can  be  no  doubt,  then 
must  the  Messiah  have  appeared,  somewhere  between 
the  46th  year  before  the  Christian  era,  and  the  38th 
after  that  era.  Here  is  certainly  a  narrow,  and  con- 
sidering the  nature  of  the  subject,  a  very  narroiv  com- 
pass in  which  to  look  for  the  Saviour  of  the  world. 
The  date  is  no  doubt,  accurately  given;  and  if  we  err, 
it  is  through  our  ignorance  of  some  of  the  facts  in  the 
case.  The  error  however,  is  so  trifling,  that  no  one 
need  mistake  the  person  to  whom  the  prophet  alludes. 

But  this  prophecy  was  rendered  more  perspicuous, 
especially  to  the  Jews,  by  being  divided  into  three 
parts.  During  the  first  forty-nine  years,  the  city  of 
Jerusalem  in  particular  and  the  Jewish  common- 
wealth generally,  were  to  be  established.  At  the  ter- 
mination of  the  next  four  hundred  and  forty-one  years, 
the  Messiah  was  to  appear.  And  sometime  during 
the  remaining  seven,  he  was  to  die  as  a  sacrifice  for 
sin,  and  thus  bring  in  "everlasting  righteousness." 
Here  are  allusions  to  events  so  palpable,  that  one 
would  think,  the  people  among  whom  they  occurred, 
could  not  possibly  have  misapplied  the  prophecy. 

*  Cruden  on  "  weeks." 


48  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

But  in  addition  to  the  dates  here  given,  there  are 
other  things  mentioned,  which  unquestionably  had 
their  fulfilment  in  connexion  with  the  personal  his- 
tory of  Jesus.  At  or  near  the  end  of  these  seventy 
weeks,  the  Jewish  nation  was  to  be  overwhelmed  in 
a  terrible  war;  their  temple  was  to  be  profaned  and 
burnt;  their  city  and  country  laid  in  ruins,  and  the 
Jews  themselves  dispersed  and  scattered,  until  some 
remote  period  alluded  to  in  the  prophecy.  Now, 
when  did  these  events  occur?  Josephus,  himself  a 
Jew,  fixes  their  date  about  forty  years  after  the  cruci- 
fixion of  Jesus.  His  description  of  the  events  too, 
most  wonderfully  agrees  with  the  prophecy.  The 
Romans,  after  capturing  every  other  important  place 
in  the  land,  laid  siege  to  Jerusalem.  The  Jews  held 
out  an  obstinate  resistance.  Subdued  at  length,  how- 
ever, by  faction,  by  pestilence,  and  by  famine,  they 
surrendered  to  the  conquerors.  Their  temple  was  de- 
stroyed, their  city  burnt  and  ploughed,  and  the  nation, 
after  suffering  incalculable  evils,  was  carried  into  a 
captivity,  from  which  they  have  not  even  yet  re- 
covered ! 

If  then,  there  be  any  thing  in  the  dates  of  this  pro- 
phecy to  deceive  us,  the  notorious  facts  which  it  con- 
tains would  still  strike  conviction  upon  the  mind. 
About  the  end  of  these  seventy  weeks,  there  did  live 
an  extraordinary  personage,  claiming  to  be  the  Mes- 
siah. He  taught  the  most  heavenly  doctrines,  he 
wrought  the  most  illustrious  miracles,  he  set  the  most 
perfect  example,  and  he  was  eventually  put  to  death 
by  a  public  execution.  The  Jewish  nation  was  soon 
afterwards  conquered  and  scattered.  Who  was  this 
extraordinary  person  ?  Who,  if  he  was  not  the  Mes- 
siah, the  Saviour  of  the  world? 

The  time  then,  according  to  prophecy,  at  which  the 
Messiah  was  to  appear,  coinciding  so  accurately  with 
that  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  demonstrates,  with  almost 
positive  certainty,  that  he  was  the  person  referred  to 
by  Daniel.  Certain  it  is,  that  if  this  prophecy  be  not 
fulfilled  in  Jesus,  it  is  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  im- 
agine another,  in  whom  it  either  is  to  be  or  has  been 


THE  MESSIAH. 


49 


fulfilled.  Jerusalem  has  been  already  captured.  The 
Jews  have  long  ago  been  dispersed.  The  seventy 
weeks  of  Daniel  therefore,  have  certainly  ended  many 
centuries  ago.  We  are  not  then  to  look  to  the  future 
for  the  fulfilment  of  these  predictions.  We  must  look 
to  the  past.  And  if  to  the  past;  where  is  there  one, 
who  can  have  any  adequate  claims  to  being  the  sub- 
ject of  these  prophecies,  but  Jesus?  He,  and  he  only 
can  claim  them;  and  to  him  they  most  certainly  refer. 


50  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 


CHAPTER    V. 


THE  TESTIMONY  OF  INSPIRED  WITNESSES. 

That  God  may  communicate  supernatural  know- 
ledge to  men,  has  been  the  uniform  belief  of  all  na- 
tions. Hence,  the  ancient  Egyptians,  Syrians,  Chal- 
deans, Greeks,  Romans,  &c,  had,  not  only  temples, 
but  oracles.  They  believed  that  certain  consecrated 
persons  had  intercourse  with  the  Deity,  and  could 
make  known  his  will  to  others.  Hence,  even  kings, 
often  consulted  such  oracles  about  future  events,  espe- 
cially in  reference  to  the  issues  of  battles,  in  which 
they  were  about  to  engage. 

Among  the  Jews,  belief  in  such  divine  inspiration, 
may  be  said  to  have  been  universal.  It  is  true,  many 
false  prophets  existed  even  among  this  people;  their 
fabrications  however,  never  destroyed  the  faith  of  the 
nation  in  the  testimony  of  well  authenticated  pro- 
phecy. Hence,  notwithstanding  the  number  of  the 
prophets  of  Baal  who  lived  in'  the  days  of  Elijah,  or 
of  the  impostors  who  lived  in  the  days  of  Isaiah  and 
Jeremiah,  still,  the  national  confidence  was  unshaken 
in  the  predictions  of  these  faithful  messengers  of  Jeho- 
vah. This  confidence,  too,  in  the  truth  of  real  pro- 
phecy, did  not  diminish  among  the.  Jews  by  the  lapse 
of  time  ;  it  rather  increased.  "  We  know"  say  they, 
in  the  days  of  Jesus,  "  that  God  spake  unto  Moses." 
John  ix.  29.  "For  prophecy,"  says  Peter,  "came 
not  in  old  time  by  the  will  of  man,  but  holy  men  of 
God  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost." 
2  Peter  i.  21. 

Now,  it  happened,  that  when  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
was  on  earth,  no  less  than  Jive  inspired  persons,  of 


THE    MESSIAH.  51 

the  very  best  reputation,  bore  witness  to  him  as  the 
Messiah.  These  were,  Zacharias  and  Elizabeth,  Si- 
meon and  Anna,  and  John  the  Baptist.  Of  the  first 
two  it  is  said,  "they  were  both  righteous  before  God, 
walking  in  all  the  commandments  and  ordinances  of 
the  Lord  blameless."  Luke  i.  6.  The  testimony  of 
Elizabeth  is  the  following  :  "  And  she  spake  out  with 
a  loud  voice,  and  said,  Blessed  art  thou  among  women; 
and  blessed  is  the  fruit  of  thy  womb.  And  whence  is 
this  to  me,  that  the  mother  of  my  Lord  should  come 
to  me  ?"  Luke  i.  42,  43.  This  testimony  is  not  only 
explicit,  but  was  spoken  when  Elizabeth  "  was  filled 
with  the  Holy  Ghost." 

The  testimony  of  Zacharias  is  even  more  remark- 
able. For  his  unbelief,  he  had  been  made  dumb  for 
nearly  a  year.  But  upon  writing  the  name  of  his 
son,  John,  his  mouth  was  opened,  he  was  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  uttered  the  following  prophetic 
language :  "  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  Israel ;  for 
he  hath  visited  and  redeemed  his  people,  and  hath 
raised  up  for  us  an  horn  of  salvation  in  the  house  of 
his  servant  David."  "And  thou,  child,  shalt  be 
called  the  prophet  of  the  highest;  for  thou  shalt  go 
before  the  face  of  the  Lord  to  prepare  his  ways." 
Luke  i.  68,  69,  76.  In  this  prediction,  Zacharias 
distinctly  recognizes  the  son  of  Mary,  as  the  Christ, 
that  had  been  long  promised. 

Forty  days  after  the  birth  of  the  infant  Jesus,  his 
parents,  according  to  the  law  of  Moses,  presented  him 
in  the  temple  to  the  Lord.  There  was  living  at  Je- 
rusalem at  the  time,  a  very  remarkable  and  pious  Jew 
by  the  name  of  Simeon.  To  him  it  had  been  re- 
vealed, that  he  should  not  depart  hence,  until  he  had 
seen  the  Messiah.  No  doubt,  this  good  man  was 
filled  with  much  anxiety,  about  the  fulfilment  of  this 
revelation.  He,  probaby  too,  expected  to  behold  in 
the  person  of  the  Messiah  something  remarkable, 
something  unearthly.  But  while  entering  the  tem- 
ple along  with  Joseph  and  Mary,  the  Holy  Ghost  in- 
dicated to  him,  that  the  babe  then  brought  in,  was  the 
Messiah  he  was  to  see.     Taking  the  child  at  once  in 


52  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

his  arms,  he  exclaimed,  "  Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy 
servant  depart  in  peace,  according  to  thy  word;  for 
mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation,  which  thou  hast 
prepared  before  the  face  of  all  people;  a  light  to 
lighten  the  Gentiles  and  the  glory  of  thy  people 
Israel."  Luke  ii.  29-32. 

Scarcely  had  Simeon  uttered  these  remarkable 
words,  when  a  certain  prophetess,  by  the  name  of 
Anna,  drew  nigh.  She  was  a  widow  of  more  than 
fourscore  years,  and  "  departed  not  from  the  temple, 
but  served  God  with  fastings  and  prayers  night  and 
day."  This  woman  also  gave  thanks  to  God  at 
the  sight  of  the  babe;  "and  spake  of  him  to  all 
them  that  looked  for  redemption  in  Israel."  Luke 
ii.  36-38. 

The  fullest  and  most  remarkable  inspired  and  con- 
temporaneous testimony,  however,  is  that  of  John, 
commonly  called  the  Baptist.  The  mission  of  John, 
as  the  immediate  precursor  of  the  Messiah,  had  been 
predicted,  both  by  Isaiah,  (xl.,)  and  Malachi,  (iv.) 
His  birth,  like  that  of  Isaac,  occurred  when  his  parents 
were  in  extreme  age.  During  the  early  part  of  his 
life,  he  seems  to  have  lived  in  very  great  seclusion 
from  society.  And  notwithstanding  the  remarkable 
occurrences  attending  his  birth  and  that  of  Jesus,  and 
the  relationship  between  them,  he  seems  to  have  had 
no  personal  knowledge  of  the  latter,  until  the  time  of 
his  baptism.  John  i.  33. 

In  the  fifteenth  year  of  Tiberius  Caesar,  Pontius 
Pilate  being  governor  of  Judea,  and  Herod  Antipas, 
Tetrarch  of  Galilee,  John  began  his  public  ministry. 
His  dress  was  remarkably  simple,  resembling  that  of 
the  ancient  prophets,  and  his  mode  of  living  very  ab- 
stemious. The  object  of  his  ministry  was,  to  reform 
the  Jewish  nation,  and  to  designate  to  them  the  per- 
son  of  the  Messiah:  He  enjoined  the  strictest  moral- 
ity, and  condemned  with  an  unsparing  zeal,  the  vices 
of  the  times.  He  addressed  all  classes  of  men;  and 
was  equally  faithful  to  scribes  and  pharisees,  as  to 
the  humblest  Jew;  to  the  haughty  Herod,  as  to  the 
mercenary  soldier.     The  influence  of  his  ministry  was 


THE    MESSIAH.  53 

powerful;  and  what  made  it  more  remarkable  was, 
that  it  was  accompanied  with  the  solemn  rite  of  bap- 
tism. Great  multitudes  nocked  to  hear  him;  and  not 
only  to  hear  him,  but  to  receive  his  baptism.  "Then 
went  there  out  to  him,"  says  Matthew,  "  Jerusalem 
and  all  Judea,  and  all  the  region  round  about  Jordan, 
and  were  baptized  of  him  in  Jordan,  confessing  their 
sins."  Matt.  iii.  5,  6.  Even  king  Herod  "  feared 
him,  knowing  that  he  was  a  just  man,  and  an  holy, 
and  observed  him:  and  when  he  heard  him,  he  did 
many  things,  and  heard  him  gladly."  Matt.  vi.  20. 
He  was  for, a  time  "a  burning  and  shining  light" 
among  the  Jews,  being  esteemed  by  all  who  knew 
him,  not  only  a  good  man,  but  "a  prophet"  Matt, 
xxi.  26.  And,  if  it  were  proper  here  to  employ  the 
testimony  of  Jesus  to  his  character,  we  would  put 
upon  him  the  climax  of  praise,  by  saying,  "Among 
them  that  are  born  of  women,  there  hath  not  arisen  a 
greater,  than  John  the  Baptist."  Matt.  xi.  11.  Such 
is  the  character  of  the  witness ;  such  the  high  estima- 
tion in  which  he  was  held  at  the  time.  What  then  is 
his  testimony? 

When  the  Jewish  nation,  from  the  peculiar  life  and 
preaching  of  John,  began  to  agitate  the  question,  whe- 
ther he  were  not  the  Christ,  his  reply  was,  "I  indeed 
baptize  you  with  water:  but  one  mightier  than  I 
cometh,  the  latchet  of  whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy 
to  unloose:  he  shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  with  fire."  Luke  iii.  16.  But  a  short  time  after 
this,  John,  while  contemplating  Jesus  as  he  approach- 
ed him  said,  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  which  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world.  This  is  he,  of  whom  I 
said,  after  me  cometh  a  man  which  is  preferred  before 
me:  for  he  was  before  me.  And  I  knew  him  not, 
but  He  that  sent  me  to  baptize  with  water,  the  same 
said  unto  me,  Upon  whom  thou  shalt  see  the  Spirit 
descending  and  remaining  on  him,  the  same  is  he 
which  baptizeth  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  I  saw 
and  bare  record  that  this  is  the  Son  of  God."  Sure- 
ly no  testimony  could  be  more  explicit,  as  none  at  the 
time  was  more  weighty,  than  this  of  John.     Jesus  is 

6 


54 


CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 


publicly  designated  as  the  Messiah,  and  the  attention 
of  the  people,  as  it  always  ought  to  be,  is  turned  away 
from  the  mere  servant,  to  the  contemplation  of  the 
great  Master  and  Lord  of  all. 

Now,  if  the  express  and  well  authenticated  testi- 
mony of  one  inspired  witness,  is  enough  to  establish 
any  matter  of  fact  whatever,  the  carefully  recorded 
testimony ^of  Jive  such  witnesses,  all  concurring  in  the 
same  fact,  ought  much  more  to  establish  any  point  in 
which  they  thus  agree.  Here  then  are  five  such  wit- 
nesses, all  attesting,  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God.  Surely  then,  that 
incredulity  must  approximate  even  to  madness,  which 
deliberately  rejects  evidence  of  this  sacred  and  weighty 
character. 


THE    MESSIAH, 


CHAPTER    VI. 


DIRECT   TESTIMONY   FROM   HEAVEN. 


There  are  several  instances  recorded  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament Scriptures,  in  which  Jehovah,  by  a  public 
acknowledgment,  recognized  certain  persons  as  his 
servants.  Thus,  when  the  Israelites  were  at  mount 
Sinai,  God  made,  in  their  view,  a  public  and  awful 
manifestation  of  his  presence  and  glory  on  the  top  of 
that  mountain,  and  thus  recognized,  in  the  strongest 
possible  manner,  the  mission  of  Moses.  Exod.  xix. 
Thus  also  at  mount  Carmel,  there  was  a  visible  and 
public  recognition  on  the  part  of  Jehovah,  that  Elijah 
was  a  true  prophet,  and  that  his  ministry  was  directed 
by  the  will  of  heaven.  1  Kings  xviii.  There  are  also 
many  other  cases,  in  which  God  was  pleased  directly 
to  interpose  in  the  attestation  of  his  truth. 

It  is  not  wonderful  then,  that  testimony  of  this  kind 
should  be  vouchsafed  to  Jesus,  if  he  were  indeed  the 
Messiah.  There  are  three  instances  of  this  sort  re- 
corded by  the  Evangelists.  The  first  occurred  at  his 
baptism:  "And  Jesus,  when  he  was  baptized,  went  up 
straightway  out  of  the  water:  and,  lo,  the  heavens 
were  opened  unto  him ;  and  he  saw  the  Spirit  of  God 
descending  like  a  dove,  and  lighting  upon  him.  And, 
lo,  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying;  This  is  my  beloved 
Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased"  Matt.  iii.  16,  17. 
This  recognition  of  Jesus  as  the  Messiah,  was  of  the 
most  public  nature.  Thousands  of  Jews  were  spec- 
tators of  the  baptism  of  Jesus;  and  this  extraordinary 
manifestation  was  made  in  their  presence.  Bloom- 
field  supposes  that  the  opening  of  the  heavens  here 
spoken  of,  was  "a  preternatural  light"  which  accom- 
panied the  descent  of  the  Spirit  upon  Jesus;  and  that 


56  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

the  allusion  to  the  dove,  does  not  suppose  a  natural 
dove,  or  the  Spirit  in  shape  of  a  dove;  but  refers  to 
"  the  gentle  and  hovering  manner/'  in  which  this  ex- 
traordinary light  rested  upon  Jesus.*  The  person 
spoken  of  as  hearing  the  voice,  is  no  doubt  John.  It 
was  to  assure  his  mind  in  the  clearest  mariner  possi- 
ble, of  the  person  of  the  Messiah,  that  this  extraordi- 
nary manifestation  was  given.  But,  whether  we  sup- 
pose the  voice  to  have  been  intelligible  only  to  John, 
or  to  have  been  understood  at  once  by  the  spectators, 
still  the  miracle  remains  unimpaired,  and  the  actual 
and  heavenly  attestation  to  Jesus,  as  the  Son  of  God, 
continues  an  authenticated  and  well  established  fact. 

The  second  instance  of  this  kind  occurred  when 
Jesus  was  spending  a  night  in  devotion,  with  three  of 
his  disciples,  on  one  of  the  mountains  of  Galilee,  by 
many  supposed  to  be  Tabor,  by  others,  one  of  the 
peaks  of  Hermon.  Sometime  during  the  night,  pro- 
bably near  morning,  when  the  disciples  were  sleeping, 
a  cloud  of  extraordinary  glory  covered  the  top  of  the 
mountain.  Such  was  its  brightness,  that  the  disciples 
seem  to  have  been  awaked  by  it.  Luke  ix.  32.  When 
thus  aroused,  they  beheld  not  only  the  glorious  cloud, 
but  three  glorious  forms  before  them.  Their  Master 
had  in  the  meantime,  entirely  changed  his  appearance, 
becoming  so  luminous  and  bright,  that  they  could 
scarcely  gaze  upon  him.  Besides  him,  there  were 
Moses  and  Elias,  whose  countenances  were  also  over- 
cast with  the  brightest  glory.  The  disciples,  amazed 
at  the  extraordinary  scene,  and  experiencing  a  pecu- 
liar delight  at  the  unusual  glory  before  them,  de- 
sired to  dwell  upon  the  top  of  the  mountain.  But 
while  they  were  thus  ravished  and  captivated  with 
the  heavenly  glory  they  were  permitted  to  behold,  a 
voice  issued  from  the  cloud,  saying,  "This  is  my  be- 
loved Son  in  whom  lam  well  pleased;  hear  ye  him." 
Matt.  xvii. 

Such  was  the  extraordinary  splendour  of  this  scene, 
and  such  its  testimony  to  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus,  that 

*  In  loco. 


THE    MESSIAH.  57 

we  find  the  apostle  Peter,  who  was  one  of  the  specta- 
tors, alluding  to  it  long  afterwards,  as  proof  of  this 
very  fact.  "  For,  says  he,  we  have  not  followed  cun- 
ningly devised  fables,  when  we  made  known  to  you 
the  power  and  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but 
were  eye-witnesses  of  his  Majesty.  For  he  received 
from  God  the  Father  honour  and  glory,  when  there 
came  such  a  voice  to  him  from  the  excellent  glory, 
<  This  is  my  beloved  Son  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased.' 
And  this  voice  which  came  from  heaven,  we  heard, 
when  we  were  with  him  in  the  holy  mount."  2  Pet. 
i.  16-18. 

Here  then  are  three  credible  witnesses,  Peter,  James, 
and  John,  who  were  eye-witnesses  of  this  glorious  dis- 
play, and  who  actually  heard  the  voice  from  heaven, 
recognizing  Jesus  as  the  Christ.  And  so  universally 
was  the  truth  of  this  vision  believed  among  the  early 
Christians,  that  Matthew,  Mark,  and  Luke,  have  each 
of  them  inserted  it  in  his  history  of  Jesus. 

The  last  instance  of  such  divine  and  heavenly  attes- 
tation to  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  is  recorded  by  John. 
Jesus  had  just  uttered  the  prayer,  "  Father,  glorify  thy 
name.  Then  came  there  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying, 
/  have  both  glorified  it;  and  will  glorify  it  again. 
The  people  therefore  that  stood  by,  said  it  thundered. 
Others  said,  an  angel  spake  unto  him."  John  vii.  28, 
29.  Doddridge  paraphrases  the  passage  thus,  "Then 
at  that  very  instant,  while  he  was  speaking,  there  came 
a  voice  from  heaven  which  said,  I  have  both  already 
glorified  it  by  the  whole  of  thy  ministry  thus  far;  and 
I  will  glorify  it  again  in  a  more  signal  manner,  by 
what  yet  remains  before  thee.  The  multitude,  there- 
fore, who  stood  by,  and  heard  it,  though  not  all  in  a 
manner  equally  distinct,  were  perfectly  astonished  at 
the  awful  sound;  and  some  among  them  said  it  thun- 
dered, while  others,  who  were  nearer,  said  that  an 
angel  spake  to  him  from  heaven.  But  Jesus  answer- 
ed and  said  to  his  disciples,  who  stood  near  and  dis- 
tinctly heard  it,  This  voice  from  heaven  came  not  chief- 
ly for  mysake  but  for  yours,  that  you  may  not  be 
offended  at  the  treatment  I  shall  meet  with,  and  quit 

6* 


5S  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

your  hope  in  me,  on  account  of  any  of  the  sufferings 
that  are  coming  upon  me."* 

Here,  then,  are  three  distinct  and  important  in- 
stances in  which  the  Lord,  Jehovah,  by  an  audible 
voice  from  heaven,  bore  witness  to  the  peculiar  char- 
acter of  Jesus.  He  acknowledged  him  on  the  banks 
of  the  Jordan  before  assembled  multitudes;  he  ac- 
knowledged him  in  a  yet  more  glorious  manner  on  the 
top  of  Tabor,  or  of  Hermon;  and  he  acknowledged 
him,  near  the  close  of  his  ministry,  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Jerusalem,  and  in  the  presence  of  many  spec- 
tators and  witnesses.  If  then  the  ancient  Jew,  who 
witnessed  the  Divine  recognition  of  Moses  and  of 
Elijah,  entertained  no  doubt  that  God  spake  by  them, 
with  what  just  pretence  can  the  modern  Jew,  or  the 
unbeliever,  deny  the  testimony  which  proves  even 
from  heaven  itself,  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of 
the  living  God? 

Nor  can  the  evidence  above  alluded  to,  be  evaded, 
by  supposing  that  either  these  voices  from  heaven 
were  the  inventions  of  the  Evangelists,  or  the  auricu- 
lar illusions  of  the  original  witnesses.  The  Evange- 
lists, if  not  inspired,  were  at  least  honest  historians. 
No  one  can  read  their  statements,  especially  in  con- 
nexion with  each  other,  and  not  perceive  every  possi- 
ble mark  of  historical  fidelity.  But  if  honest,  they 
have  stated  these  facts  only  upon  what  they  consider- 
ed adequate  testimony.  That  they  were  competent 
judges  of  such  testimony,  no  one  can  doubt,  who  con- 
siders, either  their  relation  to  the  original  parties,  or 
the  general  accuracy  in  their  various  narrations. 
They  evidently  state,  therefore,  what  was  generally 
believed  in  their  day  to  have  takeu  place. 

Nor  can  we  suppose  the  original  witnesses  to  have 
been  deceived.  The  words  uttered  were  entirely  in- 
telligible; they  were  heard  by  several,  if  not  by  many 
persons;  and  these  persons  were  men  of  the  highest 
character,  men  who  taught  the  purest  doctrines,  who 
lived  the  most  exemplary  lives,  and  some  of  whom 

*  In  loco. 


THE    MESSIAH.  59 

sealed  their  testimony  with  their  blood.  Plow  is  it 
possible  for  so  many  men,  of  such  irreproachable 
character,  on  so  many  occasions,  to  have  been  de- 
ceived? Surely  the  hypothesis  which  admits  such 
deception,  must  not  only  disprove  all  similar  commu- 
nications mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament,  but  must 
also  deny  that  the  ear  is  a  safe  guide  in  all  matters  of 
hearing  and  sound. 

The  evidence  then  cannot  be  set  aside  by  either 
supposition.  It  must,  therefore,  be  true.  But  if  true, 
then  has  Jehovah  announced  from  heaven,  by  an  au- 
dible voice,  and  at  three  different  times,  that  Jesus  is 
the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God. 


60  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 


CHAPTER  VII. 


THE   PERSONAL  TESTIMONY   OF  JESUS. 

There  is  a  general  disposition  among  mankind,  to 
receive  as  true,  what  is  delivered  upon  personal  testi- 
mony, especially  if  the  person  testifying  is  known  to 
be  honest,  and  the  fact  he  relates  be  in  itself  credi- 
ble. Hence,  the  degree  of  credit  with  which  we  re- 
ceive the  promises  and  statements  of  friends.  Hence, 
the  confidence  reposed  in  the  testimony  given  by  the 
eye-witnesses  of  any  fact  whatever.  It  is  too,  upon 
this  principle,  that  witnesses  are  allowed  to  give  testi- 
mony upon  the  most  important  matters  in  law ;  and 
that  men  are  often  permitted,  in  their  own  behalf  to 
affirm  upon  oath,  certain  matters  of  fact,  which  it  is 
important  for  them  to  establish.  Ignorance,  fraud, 
the  habit  of  prevarication,  and  the  absurdity  of  the 
thing  stated,  are  the  most  common  causes  of  disbelief. 
Now  none  of  these  causes  operate  to  invalidate  the 
testimony  of  Jesus  concerning  himself.  He  certainly 
was  not  ignorant;  for  even  his  enemies  were  astonish- 
ed at  his  wisdom  and  knowledge.  Nor  was  he  in- 
fluenced by  any  selfish  or  base  motives.  Such  was 
the  benevolent  and  holy  character  of  his  life,  that  a 
motive  like  this  cannot,  with  the  least  degree  of  pro- 
bability, be  imputed  to  him.  Nor  was  he  in  the  habit 
of  prevarication;  nor  was  the  thing  itself  incredible. 
The  Jews  had  long  been  expecting  a  Messiah.  It  was 
a  part  of  their  national  faith,  to  look  forward  to  his 
appearance.  Certainly  then,  the  actual  manifestation 
of  the  Messiah  among  them,  was  not  a  thing  in  itself 
incredible.  There  is  no  reason,  then,  why  the  testi- 
mony of  Jesus  concerning  himself  should  be  rejected. 
This  testimony  to  his  own  Messiahship  was  given 
by  Jesus  during  the  whole  of  his  life:  and  it  was  for 


THE    MESSIAH.  61 

bearing  this  testimony  that  he  was  condemned  to 
suffer  death. 

In  the  first  place,  he  never  denied  that  he  was  the 
Messiah.  There  were  numerous  occasions  when  he 
might  have  done  so.  He  was  often  placed  in  circum- 
stances, when  it  would  seem  to  be  his  interest,  to  have 
done  so.  But  on  no  occasion  whatever,  does  he  at 
all  intimate,  that  he  is  not  the  Messiah.  Under  the 
circumstances  too,  in  which  he  was  placed,  this  very 
silence  of  Jesus  is  testimony  to  the  fact.  Men  regarded 
him  as  the  Messiah.  They  worshipped  him  as*  the  Son 
of  God.  They  hailed  him  as  the  King  of  the  Jews. 
All  this  he  received  as  his  due,  never  once  intimating, 
as  John  the  Baptist  had  done,  that  the  people  were 
mistaken  in  his  character,  and  that  they  were  heaping 
upon  him  honours  which  he  did  not  deserve. 

Jesus  too,  as  we  shall  see  more  fully  hereafter,  acted 
the  character  of  the  Messiah.  In  his  manners,  in  his 
doctrine,  in  his  works,  in  the  tone  of  authority  with 
which  he  spake,  in  every  thing,  there  is  such  an  exer- 
cise of  the  Messianic  prerogatives,  such  an  exhibition 
of  more  than  human  pretensions,  as  to  leave  no  doubt 
about  his  own  impressions  and  convictions  on  this 
subject. 

But  there  is,  as  recorded  in  the  gospels,  an  abun- 
dance of  express  personal  testimony  given  by  Jesus, 
to  his  Messiahship.  When  the  woman  of  Samaria 
had  said, "I know  that  Messias  cometh,  and  that  when 
he  is  come,  he  will  teach  us  all  things;"  the  reply  of 
Jesus  was,  "I  that  speak  unto  thee  am  he."  John  iv. 
26.  When  John  the  Baptist  sent  two  of  his  disciples 
to  inquire  of  Jesus,  whether  he  was  the  one  about  to 
come,  or  whether  they  should  look  for  another;  the 
answer  given  was,  "Go,  and  show  John  agaiil  those 
things  which  ye  do  hear  and  see.  The  blind  receive 
their  sight,  and  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed 
and  the  deaf  hear;  the  dead  are  raised  up,  and  the 
poor  have  the  gospel  preached  unto  them."  Matt, 
xi.  5.  The  answer  of  Jesus  is  here  given  in  the  affir- 
mative; and  he  appeals  to  his  works  as  proofs  of  the 
fact. 


62  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

When  Peter,  on  another  occasion,  had  expressed  it 
as  his  belief,  and  as  the  belief  of  his  fellow  disciples, 
that  his  Master  was  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living 
God,  the  reply  of  Jesus  was,  "Blessed  art  thou,  Simon 
Barjona,  for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  unto 
thee,  but  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven."  Matt.xvi.  17. 
When  too,  Nathanael  had  said  to  Jesus,  "Rabbi,  thou 
art  the  Son  of  God,  thou  art  the  King  of  Israel;"  the 
answer  returned  was,  "Because  I  said  I  saw  thee 
under  the  fig  tree,  believest  thou?  Thou  shalt  see 
greater  things  than  these."  John  i.  50. 

Such  testimony  to  his  Messiahship,  Jesus  uniform- 
ly gave  to  the  Jews,  and  to  the  multitudes  who 
thronged  his  ministry.  He  delivered  it  also  to  Pilate, 
at  his  examination,  and  it  was  his  solemn  assevera- 
tion upon  oath  before  the  Sanhedrim.  "And  the 
High  Priest  answered  and  said  unto  him,  I  adjure 
thee  by  the  living  God,  that  thou  tell  us,  whether 
thou  be  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God.  Jesus  saith  unto 
him,  "  Thou  hast  said;"  Matt,  xxvii.  64;  that  is,  lam 
the  Christ. 

If,  then,  there  be  any  case,  in  which  a  man  may  be 
allowed  to  speak  for  himself,  and  if  there  be  any  thing 
in  moral  virtue  to  create  confidence  in  human  testi- 
mony, in  short,  if  there  be  any  thing  in  the  life  and 
character  of  Jesus,  upon  which  to  base  his  high  claims 
to  Messiahship,  then  is  his  own  testimony  to  those 
claims  of  the  very  highest  character,  and  worthy  of 
universal  belief. 


THE    MESSIAH.  63 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE   MIRACLES   OF   JESUS. 


A  miracle  is  defined  to  be,  "a  supernatural  opera- 
tion performed  alone  by  God."  *  The  power,  there- 
fore, to  perform  miracles,  is  evidence,  that  a  man  is  at 
least  sent  from  God. 

How  far  miracles  may  be  imitated  by  the  art  and 
cunning  of  man,  it  is  difficult  to  say  :  no  real  miracle 
however,  can  be  performed  in  this  way.  The  magi- 
cians of  Egypt  were  enabled  for  a  time  to  counterfeit 
the  wonders  wrought  by  Moses.  But,  they  soon  came 
to  the  end  of  their  art,  and  were  compelled  to  ex- 
claim, "This  is  the  finger  of  God."  Exod.  viii.  19. 

The  proof  by  which  the  reality  of  a  miracle  is 
established,  is  the  senses  of  the  human  body.  It  is 
by  these  senses,  that  the  regular  operation  of  the  laws 
of  nature  is  known.  It  must  therefore  be,  by  the  same 
means,  that  a  reversal  or  suspension  of  those  laws 
is  ascertained.  This  however  applies  to  the  imme- 
diate or  first  witnesses  of  a  miracle.  Those  who  live 
at  a  distance,  or  who  live  in  later  ages,  must  depend 
upon  human  testimony  for  their  belief  in  miracles. 
It  is  in  this  way  that  the  whole  nation  of  the  Israelites 
credit  the  miracles  of  Moses ;  and  it  is  in  this  way, 
that  we  must  yield  our  assent  to  the  miracles  of  Jesus. 
The  Apostles  and  multitudes  who  witnessed  these 
miracles,  certainly  had  every  possible  opportunity  for 
judging  of  their  reality.  These  original  witnesses, 
therefore,  could  not  have  been  themselves  deceived. 
Nor  can  we  suppose,  that  they  have  designed  to  de- 
ceive us.     The  doctrines  they  taught,  the  lives  they 

*  Cruden  in  verbo. 


64  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

lived,  and  above  all,  the  influence  of  Christianity  upon 
the  world,  all  convince  us,  that  they  were  honest  and 
credible  witnesses.  We  receive  therefore,  as  true,  the 
miracles  recorded  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  upon  the 
same  sort  of  evidence  that  we  receive  other  similar 
truths. 

The  miracles  performed  by  Jesus  differed  in  several 
respects,  from  those  wrought  either  by  the  Prophets 
or  Apostles.  They  were  in  the  first  place  universally 
benevolent  in  their  design  and  character.  This  was 
not  always  the  case  with  miracles  wrought  by  others. 
Many  of  the  miracles  of  Moses  were  of  a  judicial 
and  punitory  nature.  His  principal  ones  were 
wrought,  in  executing  the  judgments  of  God  upon 
Pharaoh,  and  upon  Egypt.  Elijah  also,  called  down 
fire  from  heaven,  upon  the  companies  sent  by  the 
King  of  Israel  to  arrest  him.  2  Kings  i.  And  even 
the  miracle  at  Carmel  resulted  in  the  slaughter  of  all 
the  prophets  of  Baal. 

Several  of  the  miracles  too  of  the  Apostles,  were 
of  a  similar  character.  One  performed  by  Peter  was 
the  smiting  to  death  of  two  persons,  Ananias  and 
Sapphira.  Acts  v.  Another  wrought  by  Paul,  was 
the  infliction  of  blindness  upon  a  certain  false  prophet. 
Acts  xiii.  On  the  contrary,  the  miracles  of  Jesus  were 
universally  benevolent  in  their  character.  He  heals 
the  sick;  gives  hearing  to  the  deaf;  sight  to  the  blind; 
and  causes  the  lame  to  leap  for  joy.  The  only  in- 
stance, in  which  the  least  imputation  of  the  want  of 
benevolence  can  be  alleged,  is  the  miracle  which  re- 
sulted in  the  destruction  of  the  swine  at  Gadara.  Nor 
is  this  an  exception.  It  was  the  transfer  of  demons 
from  a  man  to  swine.  It  was  also,  simply  allowed, 
and  that  upon  the  earnest  request  of  the  evil  spirits 
themselves.  The  swine-herds  are  also  supposed  to  have 
been  employed  in  an  illicit  trade  at  the  time.  The 
main  object,  however,  of  this  permission,  was  to  arouse 
the  attention  of  the  people  of  Gadara  to  his  Gospel, 
and  to  himself,  as  the  Messiah.  He  certainly  exhibited 
nothing  malignant  in  feeling  toward  the  Gadarenes, 
when  upon  a  simple  request  he  left  their  borders. 


THE    MESSIAH.  65 

Matt.  viii.  34.  No,  there  is  no  malignity  in  all  the 
wonderful  works  wrought  by  Jesus.  Do  the  Naza- 
renes  attempt  to  cast  him  down  headlong  from  the 
brow  of  the  hill  on  which  their  city  was  built?  He 
escapes  from  them  miraculously,  but  injures  none 
of  them.  Luke  iv.  29.  Do  John  and  James  petition 
that  fire  should  be  called  down  from  heaven  upon  a 
city  of  the  Samaritans,  because  they  would  not  re- 
ceive him?  His  reply  is,  "The  son  of  man  is  not  come 
to  destroy  men's  lives,  but  to  save  them."  Luke  ix. 
56.  Does  Judas  come  with  a  band  of  men  to  arrest 
him,  while  engaged  at  midnight  in  his  devotions? 
Although  the  simple  announcement,  "  /  am  he" 
causes  his  enemies  to  fall  to  the  ground,  still  he 
works  no  miracle  either  to  extricate  himself,  or  to 
punish  them. 

The  miracles  of  Jesus  were  also  more  numerous 
than  those  wrought  by  others.  His  three  years'  min- 
istry was  but  a  constant  succession  of  miracles.  He 
performs  them  in  Galilee,  in  Judea,  in  the  temple,  in 
the  synagogue,  in  private  houses,  in  the  street,  on  the 
high-way,  in  the  wilderness,  on  the  sea.  He  often 
performed  great  numbers  of  them  in  a  few  hours  on 
the  same  day.  What  a  catalogue,  for  instance,  is  the 
following:  "And  they  brought  unto  him  all  sick 
people  that  were  taken  with  divers  diseases  and  tor- 
ments, and  those  which  were  possessed  with  devils, 
and  those  which  were  lunatic,  and  those  that  had  the 
palsy;  and  he  healed  them."  Matt.  iv.  24.  Or  the 
following :  "  And  when  the  men  of  that  place  had 
knowledge  of  him,  they  sent  out  into  all  that  country 
round  about,  and  brought  unto  him  all  that  were  dis- 
eased, and  besought  him  that  they  might  only  touch 
the  hem  of  his  garment,  and  as  many  as  touched 
were  made  perfectly  whole."  Matt.  xiv.  35,  36.  Or 
the  following  :  "And  great  multitudes  came  unto  him, 
having  with  them  those  that  were  lame,  blind,  dumb, 
maimed,  and  many  others;  and  cast  them  down  at 
Jesus'  feet,  and  he  healed  them  I"  Matt.  xv.  30.  Or, 
still  the  following :  "And  the  blind  and  the  lame  came 
to  him  in  the  temple,  and  he  healed  them  !"    Matt. 

7 


66  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

xxi.  14.  What  mighty  works  are  here  crowded  to- 
gether !  What  illustrious  miracles  here  follow  each 
other  in  rapid  succession  !  No  other  ever  performed 
so  many,  or  so  many  togethe"?. 

The  miracles  of  Jesus  were  generally  superior  to 
those  performed  by  others.  He  removed  not  only  the 
ordinary  bodily  infirmities  of  men,  but  their  most  per- 
manent and  deep-rooted  diseases  and  sufferings.  Le- 
prosies, palsies,  lunacies,  deafness,  blindness,  lame- 
ness, and  similar  afflictions,  were  among  his  ordinary 
cures.  He  delivered  the  bodies  of  men  from  satanic 
power,  a  power  which  seems  to  have  been  exerted  at 
that  time,  with  peculiar  malignity.  He  raised  the 
dead;  and  thus,  not  only  arrested  the  power  of  cor- 
poreal corruption,  but  called  back  the  spirit,  from  its 
invisible  abode  to  its  bodily  home.  He  exercised  also 
an  absolute  power  over  the  elements.  He  walked 
upon  the  waters,  and  by  a  word  he  calmed  their  wild- 
est commotions.  He  multiplied  a  few  loaves  and 
fishes,  so  that  several  thousands  were  fed  by  them  ! 
Such  were  some  of  the  mighty  works  of  Jesus  of 
Nazareth.  He  stood  upon  the  bosom  of  nature  as 
its  God  and  Author,  controlling  and  directing  all  things 
simply  by  the  energy  of  his  will.  "  He  spake  and  it 
was  done,  he  commanded  and  it  stood  fast." 

The  miracles  of  Jesus  differed  also  from  those  of 
the  ancient  prophets  in  what  may  be  termed  their 
universality.  Most  of  the  miracles  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, were  confined  to  the  Israelites.  Jesus  seemed 
to  take  peculiar  pleasure  in  overstepping  this  boun- 
dary of  nationality,  that  he  might  exercise  his  miracu- 
lous power  among  Gentiles  as  well  as  Jews.  He 
goes  at  the  bidding  of  a  heathen  centurion,  he  yields 
at  the  call  of  a  Syrian  woman,  and  cures  with  de- 
light a  Samaritan  leper.  None  are  sent  empty 
away;  and  to  all,  bond  or  free,  Greek  or  Jew,  his 
answer  is, "Be  it  to  thee,  according  to  thy  faith." 

But  that  which  distinguishes  the  miracles  of  Jesus 
more  than  any  thing  else  is,  the  God-like  maimer  in 
which  they  were  performed.  When  Moses  brings 
darkness  upon  Egypt;  when  he  divides  the  sea,  and 


THE    MESSIAH.  67 

when  he  furnishes  water  from  the  rock  of  Horeb,  he 
is  evidently  but  an  instrument,  a  mere  servant,  in  the 
whole  matter.  He  is  told  what  to  do,  and  informed 
what  will  take  place.  His  own  will  had  nothing  to 
do  with  the  effect  produced,  save  only  so  far  as  he 
obeyed  the  Being  commanding  him.  Any  other  per- 
son or  creature,  would  have  answered  just  as  well  as 
Moses,  in  the  history  of  the  miracle.  It  was  not  his 
work  but  God's;  it  was  not  his  will,  but  God's.  He 
was  a  mere  mouth,  or  a  mere  hand  for  another. 
The  same  is  true  of  all  the  miracles  performed,  by 
both  the  prophets  and  Apostles.  Does  Elijah  raise 
the  son  of  the  widow  of  Zarephath !  He  stretches  him- 
self three  times  upon  the  child,  and  calls  upon  the 
Lord  to  restore  him  to  life.  1  Kings  xvii.  Does  Isaiah 
bring  the  shadow  ten  degrees  backward  upon  the  dial 
of  Ahaz !  It  is  done  only  after  he  "  had  cried  unto 
the  Lord."  2  Kings  xx.  Does  Peter  heal  the  cripple 
at  the  beautiful  gate  of  the  temple?  Acts  iii.  He 
acknowledges  himself,  that  it  was  the  name  of  an- 
other by  which  the  miracle  was  wrought.  And  so 
of  all  the  rest. 

The  miracles  of  Jesus,  however,  were  differently 
performed.  Does  a  leper  petition  for  a  cure?  The 
reply  is,  "  Be  clean;"  and  immediately  the  leprosy 
departs.  Does  a  centurion  desire  his  servant  to  be 
healed?  "  Be  it  unto  thee  according  to  thy  faith" 
is  the  brief  reply.  Does  a  blind  man  seek  for  sight  ? 
The  command  is  given  to  the  sightless  balls,  "  Be. 
opened;"  and  vision  is  restored.  "  Are  devils  to  be 
cast  out?  "  Come  out  of  him"  is  the  command,  and 
the  evil  spirits  obey.  Are  the  waves  of  the  sea  to  be 
quieted?  There  is  no  prayer,  no  instrumentality 
used;  but  simply  the  command  issued,  "Peace,  be 
still."  Is  Lazarus  to  be  raised  from  the  dead? 
"  Lazarus,  come  forth"  is  the  fiat,  and  the  dead  is 
raised.  And  so  of  all  the  miracles  of  Jesus.  There 
is  a  directness  in  them,  an  energy,  a  power,  such  as 
we  behold  no  where  else.  Indeed,  to  find  the  like, 
we  must  go  back  to  the  history  of  the  creation,  and 
place  the  first  and  second  chapters  of  Genesis,  beside 


68  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

the  gospels  of  the  Evangelists,  as  affording  the  only 
actual  resemblance  in  all  the  book  of  God.  In  the 
former,  it  is  said,  "  Let  there  be  light1" — "  Let  there 
he  a  firmament" — "Let  the  dry  land  appear" — and 
the  results  follow  immediately  upon  the  issuing  of  the 
command.  There  is  no  delay,  no  hesitation.  The 
simple  will  of  the  Creator  produces  the  effect  in- 
tended. Just  so  in  the  history  of  Jesus.  The  bare 
exercise  of  his  will,  without  the  intervention  of  any 
means  whatever,  effects  the  end  contemplated.  His 
word  is  power,  his  volition  accomplishment.  There 
is  no  resistance,  no  hinderance,  no  delay.  Diseases, 
death,  the  elements,  men,  and  devils,  all  yield  to  his 
absolute  authority. 

What  should  be  remarked  too,  in  this  matter  is, 
that  Jesus  was  regarded  by  those  around  him,  as  the 
independent  dispenser  of  such  miraculous  powers. 
He  is  so  addressed  by  the  sick  who  come  to  him,  or 
by  their  friends  who  petition  for  them.  "  Lord,  if 
thou  wilt  thou  canst  make  me  clean,"  is  the  manner 
in  which  the  leper  addresses  him.  "  Speak  the  word 
only,  and  my  servant  shall  be  whole,"  is  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Centurion.  "  Have  mercy  on  us"  is 
the  cry  of  the  blind  men.  And,  if  at  any  time,  there 
be  a  reserve,  or  the  least  hesitancy  of  faith,  it  is  con- 
sidered as  derogatory  to  the  character  of  Jesus.  Such 
doubt  must  be  abandoned,  such  reserve  must  be  dis- 
sipated, before  the  miracle  is  wrought.  The  abso- 
lute power  of  Jesus,  and  the  entire  independence  of 
his  will,  must  first  be  recognized  and  trusted  in,  or 
else  the  intimation  is  given  that  the  cure  will  not  be 
effected.  Matt.  ix.  28;  xiii.  5S.  Mark  ix.  22,  23. 

Nor  is  this  all;  not  only  did  Jesus  work  miracles 
in  this  absolute  manner,  and  not  only  was  he  con- 
sidered by  those  around  him,  as  the  sole  and  inde- 
pendent dispenser  of  such  influences,  he  also  com- 
municated miraculous  powers  to  others.  To  the 
twelve,  it  is  said,  "  he  gave  power  against  unclean 
spirits,  to  cast  them  out,  and  to  heal  all  manner  of 
sickness  and  all  manner  of  diseases."  Matt.  x.  1.  The 
same  powers  were  also  given  to  the  seventy;  for, 


THE    MESSIAH.  69 

upon  their  return,  they  reported,  "  Lord,  even  the 
devils  are  subject  to  us  through  thy  word"  Luke  x. 
17.  It  is  true,  that  the  Apostles  and  the  seventy  did 
not  pretend  to  work  any  miracles,  but  in  subserviency 
to  Jesus.  They  spake  in  the  name  of  their  Master ; 
they  commanded  through  his  power.  They  were  but 
instruments;  and  in  this  respect,  the  miracles  wrought 
by  them,  resembled  all  others  performed  by  mere 
human  instrumentality.  The  point  to  be  observed 
here  however,  is,  that  Jesus,  with  the  same  absolute 
independence  with  which  he  himself  wrought  mira- 
cles, communicated  also  these  supernatural  endow- 
ments to  others.  Not  that  he  could  give,  or  men 
receive,  either  the  offices  or  the  absolute  powers 
which  he  himself  possessed.  But  in  the  same  man- 
ner, in  which  Jehovah  endued  Moses,  or  Elijah,  or 
any  of  the,  ancients,  with  power  to  work  miracles 
in  the  same  manner,  did  Jesus  empower  his  dis- 
ciples. He  not  only  wielded  an  absolute  control 
himself  over  natural  causes  and  effects,  but  he  per- 
mitted others  in  his  name,  and  by  his  authority,  to 
do  the  same  thing.  He  not  only  exercised  in  his 
own  person  a  governing  will  over  all  things  around 
him,  but  he  exercised  such  will  also  by  means  of 
others. 

Such  were  the  miracles  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 
More  benevolent  than  all  others,  they  were  also 
greater;  more  numerous,  they  were  also  performed 
in  a  more  God-like  manner.  The  only  conclusion  to 
to  which  reason  can  come  concerning  them  is,  either 
that  Divinity  dwelt  in  humanity,  in  the  person  of 
Jesus,  or  that  the  Godhead  gave  to  human  nature 
discretionary  powers  in  the  use  of  its  sole  and  abso- 
lute prerogatives.  Whether  the  mystery  be  greater 
in  the  one  case  than  in  the  other,  or  whether  the  one 
be  more  credible  than  the  other,  is  left  for  each  to 
decide  for  himself.  But  of  this  we  are  certain,  that  if 
there  be  a  Christ  yet  to  come,  he  cannot  do  greater 
miracles,  or  miracles  in  a  manner  more  divine,  than 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  hath  already  done.  John  vii.  31. 
If  miracles  then,  or  the  manner  of  performing  them, 


70 


CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 


can  furnish  evidence  to  the  truth  of  Messiahship,  then 
is  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  attested  in  the  strongest 
and  fullest  manner  possible.  What  greater  works 
can  any  future  Messiah  perform  ?  What  higher  pre- 
rogatives can  he  exert?  What  other  laws  of  nature 
can  he  control  ?  Surely  the  works  of  Jesus  proclaim, 
as  with  the  voice  of  thunder,  that  he  is  "  the  Son  of 
God,  the  King  of  Israel." 


THE    MESSIAH.  71 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE    CHARACTER     OF    JESUS, 


We  naturally  expect  that  character  should  be  adapt- 
ed to  office.  In  a  parent  we  expect  providence,  in  a 
friend  fidelity,  in  a  labourer  industry,  in  a  soldier  bra- 
very, in  a  judge  justice,  in  a  scholar  learning,  and  in 
a  king  or  governor  wisdom  and  integrity.  And  when- 
ever this  expectation  is  disappointed,  the  mind  expe- 
riences a  sense  of  pain,  resulting  from  the  considera- 
tion of  the  unadaptedness  of  the  office-holder  to  the 
office,  of  the  agent  to  the  end  designed. 

With  men,  and  in  all  human  things,  incongruities 
of  this  kind  often  happen.  How  frequent  is  it,  that 
judges  are  unjust,  professed  scholars  unlearned,  rulers 
weak,  and  friends  treacherous !  But,  when  God  him- 
self designates  an  officer  to  an  office,  or  creates  an 
agent  for  an  end,  we  may  calculate  upon  a  wonder- 
ful adaptedness,  between  the  character  of  the  person 
chosen,  and  the  sphere  to  be  filled  by  him.  Are  Be- 
zaleel  and  Aholiab  appointed  by  Jehovah  to  build  the 
tabernacle  ?  God  previously  "  fills  them  with  wisdom, 
and  understanding,  and  knowledge,  in  all  manner  of 
workmanship."  Ex.  xxxi.  Is  the  youthful  David 
chosen  from  the  sheepfold,  at  Bethlehem,  to  be  king 
over  Israel?  The  Spirit  of  God  accompanies  the  oil 
of  consecration,  and  the  inexperienced  shepherd-boy 
is  so  endowed  and  trained,  as  to  be  fitted  to  occupy 
the  throne  in  Israel.  1  Sam.  xvi.  Is  Jehu  designated 
as  the  instrument  of  executing  the  vengeance  of  God 
upon  the  impious  house  of  Ahab?  His  natural  vin- 
dictiveness  of  temper,  his  bold  and  fiery  zeal,  admira- 
bly qualify  him  for  the  bloody  drama  through  which 
he  was  called  to  pass.    2  Kings  ix.     And  so  of  all 


72  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

other  instruments,  directly  chosen  of  God,  to  fulfil  his 
pleasure  in  the  history  of  human  life. 

These  remarks  must  of  course  have  a  peculiar  ap- 
plication to  the  personal  character  of  the  Messiah 
He  was  to  rear  a  celestial  tahernacle;  to  sway  a  divine 
sceptre.  His  office  was  to  be  the  highest  of  all — his 
duties  the  most  difficult  of  all.  His  character  there- 
fore must  be  proportionably  exalted. 

And  what  is  here  a  deduction  of  reason,  is  matter  of 
positive  revelation.  "Behold,  saith  the  Lord,  my 
servant  whom  I  uphold;  mine  elect  in  whom  my  soul 
delighteth;  I  have  put  my  Spirit  upon  him:  he  shall 
bring  forth  judgment  to  the  Gentiles.  He  shall  not 
cry,  nor  lift  up,  nor  cause  his  voice  to  be  heard  in  the 
street.  A  bruised  reed  shall  he  not  break,  and  the 
smoking  flax  shall  he  not  quench;  he  shall  bring  forth 
judgment  unto  truth.  He  shall  not  fail  nor  be  dis- 
couraged, till  he  have  set  judgment  in  the  earth,  and 
the  isles  shall  wait  for  his  law."  Isaiah  xlii.  Here 
it  is  expressly  announced,  that  the  character  of  the 
Messiah  is  to  be  peculiar,  and  wonderfully  adapted  to 
the  exalted  office  he  was  appointed  to  fill. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  there  is  great  difficulty  in 
forming  suitable  conceptions  of  the  appropriate  char- 
acter of  a  Saviour.  We  know  not  altogether  what 
such  an  office  requires.  The  office  of  a  parent,  of  a 
judge,  of  a  teacher,  or  ruler,  is  familiar  to  us.  But 
when  we  consider  an  office,  whose  relations  are  chiefly 
spiritual,  and  which  exercises  its  influence  principally 
in  eternity,  we  are  at  a  loss  rightly  to  conceive  of  its 
nature,  and  justly  to  estimate  its  magnitude. 

Nor  is  this  all.  Even  the  earthly  developments  of 
this  office  are  not  as  yet  fully  made  known.  How 
ill  prepared  was  the  ancient  Jew  to  appreciate  the 
events  and  histories  of  the  new  dispensation  !  And 
how  disqualified  are  we  to  enter  with  minuteness  and 
certainty  into  the  hidden  purposes  of-  God,  or  to  de- 
lineate with  historical  accuracy,  the  final  results  of 
unfulfilled  prophecy!  Even  if  Jesus  be  the  Messiah, 
the  whole  of  his  character  has  not  as  yet  been  given; 
and  there  may  be  much  in  the  future  still  to  corrobo- 


THE  MESSIAH.  73 

rate  prophecy,  and  to  furnish  higher  evidence  than 
we  now  have,  that  the  Son  of  Mary  is  the  promised 
Christ,  the  Saviour  of  men. 

But,  abating  these  difficulties,  what  is  the  character 
which  a  Saviour  for  men  might  be  expected  to  pos- 
sess? This  is  best  learned  by  considering  the  condi- 
tion of  the  persons  to  be  saved.  If  a  man's  condition 
were  one  of  pecuniary  embarrassment  and  bankrupt- 
cy, he  would  require  in  a  helper,  funds;  if  it  were  one 
of  disease,  he  would  require  medical  skill;  if  of  sor- 
row, he  would  need  a  kind  and  sympathizing  heart. 
Now,  men  are  vicious  and  depraved;  with  them  pas- 
sion is  predominant,  and  reason  enslaved;  inclination 
is  law,  and  truth  and  duty  trampled  under  foot.  The 
character  of  a  Saviour,  therefore,  for  such,  must  tend 
to  counteract  this  state  of  things.  It  must  inspire  a 
love  for  duty,  a  desire  for  holiness.  It  must  awaken 
conscience  and  arouse  all  the  high  moral  faculties 
of  the  soul.  If  a  skilful  general  is  commanding  a 
cowardly  army,  he  must  show  in  himself  contempt 
of  danger,  if  he  would  inspire  them  with  courage. 
And  if  Jesus  would  awaken  in  the  breasts  of  sinners 
a  love  for  moral  virtue,  they  must  find  it  first  in  his 
own  example. 

And,  here,  we  rejoice  to  say  it,  the  only  perfect 
model  of  moral  virtue  ever  described  or  exemplified 
on  earth,  is  presented  to  us  by  the  Evangelists  in  the 
life  of  Jesus.  Here  it  exists  in  absolute  solitariness, 
without  a  rival  or  another.  Here,  and  here  alone,  we 
find  a  character  with  every  fault  absent,  with  every 
virtue  present. 

Cicero  enters  a  complaint  against  ancient  philA- 
phers  in  the  following  language:  "How  rare  is  it, 
says  he,  to  find  a  philosopher  with  a  mind  and  life  so 
regulated  as  reason  requires,  who  deems  his  own  doc- 
trine, not  a  parade  of  science,  but  a  rule  of  life;  who 
yields  obedience  to  himself,  and  deference  to  his  own 
decrees.  Whereas,  how  common  to  see  some  so  full 
of  vanity  and  ostentation,  that  it  had  been  better 
for  them  not  to  have  been  taught;  some  the  vota- 
ries of  money;  some  of  glory;  many  the  slaves  of 


74  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

their  passions;  so  that  their  lives  are  strangely  at  war 
with  their  language."*  An  elegant  writer  too,  of  our 
own  times,  bears  similar  testimony  to  the  practical  re- 
sults of  ancient  philosophy:  "They  promised  what 
was  impracticable;  they  despised  what  was  prac- 
ticable; they  filled  the  world  with  long  words  and 
long  beards,  and  they  left  it  as  ignorant  and  as  wicked 
as  they  found  it."t 

Nor  have  modern  times  produced  a  solitary  in- 
stance of  absolutely  perfect  human  character.  Most 
of  the  best  men  lack  many  virtues;  multitudes  of  them 
exhibit  real  faults  and  vices.  How  often  in  biogra- 
phies do  we  find  remarks  like  the  following:  "The 
characteristic  peculiarity  of  his  intellect  was  the  union 
of  great  powers  with  loiv  prejudices. ,%  Or  the  follow- 
ing: "  He  had  one  fault,  which  of  all  human  faults  is 
most  rarely  found  in  company  with  true  greatness — 
he  was  extremely  affected." §  So  Cicero  notes  the 
vanity  of  Demosthenes,  who  confessed  that  he  was 
delighted  when  a  female  water-carrier  said,  as  he  pass- 
ed— "There  goes  that  Demosthenes." || 

Similar  complaints  are  alleged  by  inspiration  against 
the  worthies  among  the  Israelites — against  patriarchs, 
prophets,  and  apostles.  Adam  sinned  when  in  inno- 
cence; Abraham  prevaricated;  Jacob  was  guilty  of 
falsehood;  Moses  spake  unadvisedly  with  his  lips; 
David  was  guilty  of  even  foul  crimes;  Peter  was 
cowardly,  and  Paul  and  Barnabas  quarrelled.  There 
is,  even  on  the  page  of  revelation,  but  one  perfect 
character,  but  one  without  a  fault,  but  one  possessing 
every  virtue,  and  that  is  the  character  of  Jesus. 

*lt  may  very  much  be  questioned,  whether,  if  all 
human  characters  were  put  in  common,  and  one  had 
the  privilege  and  the  power  to  combine  from  the 
mass  one  perfect  man,  it  could  be  done.  Their 
virtues  would  be  so  defective,  and  their  vices  so  sub- 
tle, that  the  effort  would  resemble  that  of  a  sculptor 

*  Tusculan  Questions.  t  Macaulay — Life  of  Lord  Bacon, 

t  Macaulay — Johnson.  §  Macaulay— Pitt. 

|,Tus.  Questions. — Happiness. 


THE    MESSIAH.  75 

attempting  to  produce  a  statue  of  marble  from  a  forest 
of  trees;  or  of  a  philosopher  attempting  to  find  one 
immortal  in  a  world  of  mortals. 

Indeed,  we  may  go  a  step  further  and  say,  that  even 
if  men  were  allowed  to  draw  from  the  world  of  abso- 
lute ideality — if  they  should  forsake  realities  and  pro- 
ceed to  conceptions  of  their  own — it  is  doubtful  whe- 
ther a  man  could  be  found,  who  could  either  paint, 
chisel,  or  write  the  perfect  model  of  a  perfect  man. 
Each  inventor  would  be  himself  so  much  under  the 
influence  of  human  prejudices  and  infirmities,  that  he 
would  be  likely  never  to  exhibit  a  specimen,  which 
even  the  rest  of  his  species  would  pronounce  absolute- 
ly perfect.  How  can  the  blind  construct  a  rainbow, 
or  the  deaf  originate  an  anthem,  or  erring  mortals, 
unless  divinely  inspired,  portray  one  unerring  man? 
But  in  the  gospel  we  have  both  the  original  and  the 
description,  the  faultless  character,  and  its  faultless 
delineation. 

In  all  merely  human  biographies,  we  always  dis- 
cover, not  only  the  faults  of  him  whose  life  is  given, 
but  the  faults  of  the  writer  by  whom  the  character  is 
drawn,  either  malignity,  or  partiality,  or  prejudice,  or 
bigotry, or  ignorance,  is  permitted  to  throw  colourings 
upon  the  page,  which  the  pen  of  independent  truth 
could  never  sanction.  Now  virtues  are  magnified, 
now  vices  are  concealed.  Now  facts  are  presented  in 
a  distorted  condition,  and  now  motives  are  ascribed  to 
conduct  which  never  existed.  Now  one  character 
wears  all  the  splendours  of  angelic  perfection,  now 
another  is  clothed  in  the  vices  of  Apolyon. 

Not  like  these  are  the  narrations  of  inspired  men. 
They  speak  as  if  they  saw  the  throne  of  judgment,  or 
as  if  they  had  been  solemnly  sworn  in  the  court  of 
Heaven.  Their  inspiration  too,  enables  them  to  see 
all  the  facts,  and  to  see  them  as  they  are.  Hence 
they  conceal  nothing,  invent  nothing;  but  with  the 
accuracy  of  a  skilful  surgeon's  knife,  following  every 
muscle  and  nerve  in  the  human  body,  they  exhibit 
the  character  as  it  is,  and  not  as  they  think  it  ought 
to  be.    Hence  they  speak  as  fearlessly  of  Lot's  incest, 


76  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

as  of  his  escape  from  Sodom;  of  Abraham's  prevari- 
cation, as  of  his  offering  his  son  Isaac; -of  David's 
adultery  as  of  his  conquest  over  Goliah;  of  Peter's 
denial  of  his  Master,  as  of  his  sermon  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost. 

It  was  into  the  hands  of  writers  like  these  that  the 
character  of  Jesus  was  committed  for  portrayal.  Nor 
have  they  failed  to  do  it  justice.  Yet  amid  the  glory 
of  the  most  illustrious  miracles — under  the  breath  of  a 
fame  resembling  the  roarings  of  the  whirlwind — in 
constant  view  of  a  character  to  which  there  had  never 
been  even  an  approximation,  and  while  describing  too 
the  actions  of  their  own  Master,  whom  they  devotedly 
loved,  there  are  no  exaggerations,  no  swellings  of 
vanity,  no  attempt  at  ingenuity,  no  parade,  no  show! 
With  the  simplicity  with  which  the  sunbeam  falls 
upon  the  flower  in  spring,  or  the  drop  of  rain  rests 
upon  the  unfolded  leaf,  do  they  tell  and  narrate  all 
just  as  it  happened.  Their  pens  seem  to  have  been 
steel,  their  arms  iron,  and  their  hearts  stone.  One 
never  thinks  of  the  writer,  perhaps  does  not  recognize 
his  presence,  but  seems  in  his  own  person  to  be  travel- 
ling in  Galilee,  or  listening  in  the  temple,  or  sitting  by 
the  sea-side,  lost  and  amazed  at  the  simple  greatness, 
and  the  mighty  works  of  the  illustrious  Nazarene. 
Surely  Heaven  must  have  held  the  hands  which  de- 
scribed its  own  model  of  virtue. 

But  what  is  that  model  ?  The  character  of  Jesus 
exhibited,  among  others,  the  following  excellences. 
It  possessed  the  most  perfect  and  exalted  piety. 
Abraham  was  illustrious  for  his  faith,  Moses  for  his 
meekness,  Daniel  for  his  integrity,  and  David  for 
being  a  man  after  God's  own  heart.  But  the  piety  of 
Jesus,  not  only  concentrated  all  these,  but  far  excelled 
them.  Is  prayer  an  act  of  piety?  How  often  did  Jesus 
rise  before  day,  or  spend  the  whole  night  in  commu- 
nion with  his  Father!  Is  obedience  an  act  of  piety? 
Hear  him  exclaim,  "My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  Him 
that  sent  me,  and  to  finish  his  work."  John  iv.  34.  Is 
submission  to  the  Divine  will  an  evidence  of  piety? 
Hear  him  say,  when  crushed  by  the  most  over-power- 


THE    MESSIAH.  77 

ing  sorrows — "Not  my  will,  but.  thine  be  done."  So 
shone  the  piety  of  Jesus.  It  was  a  full-orbed  sun, 
without  a  cloud  and  without  an  eclipse. 

The  character  of  Jesus  also  exhibited  the  greatest 
benevolence  toward  men.  He  did  not,  like  some 
eastern  monarch,  shut  himself  up  in  a  palace,  and 
communicate  with  his  subjects  only  by  means  of 
others.  He  did  not,  like  the  more  modern  eremite, 
seek  the  wilderness,  and  there  in  a  life  of  seclusion 
and  abstinence,  gratify  an  ambition,  which  could  not 
find  a  suitable  theatre  for  exercise  among  the  abodes 
and  miseries  of  living  and  active  men.  Nor  did  he, 
like  the  philosopher,  spend  his  time  amid  dusty  vo- 
lumes, and  learned  demonstrations,  to  the  neglect  of  the 
more  practical  duties  of  life.  He  mingles  with  society, 
he  is  surrounded  by  the  multitude,  he  visits  the  market, 
the  synagogue,  the  public  festivals,  the  high-ways, 
and  the  haunts  of  misery  and  suffering.  "  He  went 
about  doing  good."  The  ignorant,  the  wretched,  the 
outcast,  the  afflicted,  and  the  poor,  are  all  the  sharers 
in  his  divine  munificence.  Though  without  a  place 
to  lay  his  head,  he  invites  to  him  the  wearied  and 
heavy  laden  that  they  may  find  rest.  Though  desti- 
tute of  store-house  and  barn,  he  satisfies  the  hunger 
of  the  thousands  around  him.  Though  uneducated 
in  the  schools  of  the  Rabbins,  he  instructs  with  the 
greatest  kindness,  the  multitudes  that  attended  his 
ministry,  in  a  philosophy  more  elevated  than  that 
of  Gamaliel,  more  heavenly  than  that  of  Moses.  And 
though  destitute  of  the  protection  of  either  Tiberius 
or  Pilate,  Herod  or  Caiaphas,  he  interposes  the  shield 
of  his  care  around  the  persons  of  his'  followers  to 
defend  them  from  threatened  danger.  Indeed,  his 
benevolence  was  boundless.  He  reasons  with  his 
enemies,  comforts  his  friends,  prays  for  his  murderers, 
and  dies  for  a  world  of  sinners  ! 

But  see  his  unaffected  humility!  Does  Nathanael 
affirm — "Rabbi,  thou  art  the  Son  of  God,  thou  art  the 
King  of  Israel?"  The  simple  reply  of  Jesus  is — 
"Because  I  said,  I  saw  thee,  under  the  fig-tree, 
belie  vest  thou?     Thou  shalt  see  greater  things  than 

8 


78  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

these."  John  i.  50.  Does  Nicodemus,  a  ruler  of  the 
Jews,  and  a  member  of  their  great  council,  approach 
him  as  "a  teacher  sent  from  God?"  He  is  not  the 
least  flattered  by  the  salutation,  or  by  the  approach  of 
so  illustrious  a  personage,  but  simply  asserts — "Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  except  a  man  be  born  again, 
he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God."  John  iii.  Do 
the  Apostles  testify — "Thou  art  the  Christ, the  Son  of 
the  living  God?"  He  does  not  deny  but  that  they 
have  asserted  the  truth;  yet  charges  them  to  tell 
no  man  of  that  fact.  Matt.  xvi.  Do  the  multitudes, 
from  their  admiration  of  his  character  and  extraordi- 
nary powers,  desire  to  make  him  their  King?  He 
retires  from  them  and  spends  his  time  in  the  solitary 
retirement  of  some  mountain  top,  far  removed  from 
both  their  admiration  and  their  efforts.  John  vi.  Do 
the  crowds  that  follow  him  as  he  makes  his  last  en- 
trance into  Jerusalem,  shout  as  they  proceed,  "Blessed 
be  the  King  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord; 
peace  in  heaven  and  glory  in  the  highest?"  He  stops 
on  the  top  of  Olivet,  and  there  pours  out  his  tears  in 
broken  utterance  at  the  approaching  fate  of  the  Me- 
tropolis of  Judea.  Luke  xix.  0  wonderful  humility! 
0  lowliness  of  heart,  beyond  a  parallel  and  without  a 
rival ! 

But  look  at  the  moral  sublime  in  the  character  of 
Jesus.  This  trait  of  character  has  always  been  ad- 
mired by  mankind.  To  be  victorious  over  fortune, 
and  composed  when  in  the  greatest  danger,  shows 
such  self-respect,  or  such  confidence  in  an  overruling 
Providence,  that  all  must  consider  it  a  rare  excel- 
lence of  human  character.  Hence,  the  reply  of  the 
vanquished  Indian  to  Alexander,  has  always  been 
admired.  When  the  Macedonian  asked,  how  he 
wished  to  be  treated — "  Like  a  king"  responds  the 
indomitable  Porus !  The  reply  of  Caesar,  also,  to 
his  pilot  has  been  celebrated:  "  Why  are  you  afraid ? 
you  carry  Cxsar!"  There  is  also  an  instance  re- 
corded by  Cicero,  of  the  same  kind.  When  the  phi- 
losopher Theodorns  was  threatened  by  king  Lysima- 
chus  with  crucifixion,  his  reply  was — "  Reserve,  may 


THE    MESSIAH.  79 

it  please  you,  those  threats  of  honour,  for  these  thy 
minions,  clothed  in  purple  ;  for  truly  it  is  nothing  to 
Theodorus,  whether  he  rots  on  the  ground,  or  in  the 


air 


p> 


There  are,  however,  no  instances  of  such  elevation 
of  character,  to  be  found  in  the  history  of  mankind, 
equal  to  those  which  every  where  crowd  the  life  of 
Jesus.  Do  the  disciples  awaken  him  in  a  sea-storm, 
when  in  dreadful  apparent  peril?  His  reply  is,  "  Why 
are  ye  fearful,  0  ye  of  little  faith!"  Matt.  viii.  Do 
the  Pharisees  inform  him  that  Herod,  (who  had 
already  put  the  Baptist  to  death,)  was  about  to  kill 
him;  and  do  they  urge  him  to  use  haste  in  his  escape? 
"  Go  ye,"  says  he,  "  and  tell  that  fox,  Behold,  I  cast 
out  devils,  and  I  do  cures  to-day  and  to-morrow, 
and  the  third  day,  I  shall  be  perfected!"  Luke  xiii. 
Does  an  armed  band  seek  to  arrest  him,  at  mid- 
night, and  do  they  come  to  him  with  "  officers,  lan- 
terns, torches  and  weapons?"  He  goes  to  meet  them, 
and  asks  "Whom  seek  ye?"  and  when  they  replied, 
"Jesus  of  Nazareth,"  his  answer  is — "7  am  he!" 
John  xviii.  Is  he  tried  for  his  life  before  the  Jewish 
senate?  He  is  perfectly  calm  and  unmoved;  and 
when  they  fail  in  procuring  testimony,  he  gives  it 
himself;  "  Thou  say  est  that  I  am!"  Is  he  brought 
before  Pilate  and  accused  of  treason  against  Rome? 
See  his  self-possession,  his  unexcited  manner!  "  Art 
thou  a  king,  then?"  asks  the  Procurator.  "Thou 
sayest  that  I  am;"  says  Jesus.  "To  this  end  was  I 
born,  and  for  this  end  came  I  into  the  world."  John 
xviii.  But  look  at  him  in  the  hour  of  crucifixion. 
Is  he  nailed  to  the  cross?  Is  he  mocked  and  hissed 
at  ?  Is  he  elevated  between  thieves  ?  Is  he  ridiculed 
by  priests  and  people;  by  strangers  and  citizens? 
Not  an  angry  word  escapes  his  lips;  not  a  frown 
contracts  his  brow;  not  a  resentful  feeling  is  en- 
kindled in  his  heart !  No — nothing  of  this  kind,  but 
just  the  contrary.  His  look  is  still  benevolent;  his 
eye  still  friendly;  his  breast  still  affectionate;  while 
the  only  utterance  of  his  lips  is,  "  Father,  forgive 
them,  they  know  not  what  they  do!"     Well  might  it 


80  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

be  said,  "  if  Socrates  died  like  a  philosopher,  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  died  like  a  God." 

Such  was  the  unyielding  greatness  of  the  soul  of 
Jesus.  No  temptations  could  corrupt  him,  no  dan- 
gers could  alarm  him,  no  subtlety  could  ensnare  him, 
no  sufferings  could  intimidate  him.  In  all  circum- 
stances he  was  the  same,  in  all  places  the  same,  to 
all  men  the  same  ;  condescending,  but  elevated  ;  kind, 
but  uncompromising;  famed,  but  not  exalted;  obe- 
dient, but  not  self-righteous;  he  exhibited  in  himself 
a  concentration  of  virtues,  which  must  not  only  raise 
hirn  for  ever  above  the  approximation  of  men,  but 
render  him  worthy  of  the  title  given  him  by  an 
Apostle,  "  the  brightness  of  the  Father's  glory,  and 
the  express  image  of  his  person"  Heb.  i.  3. 

The  Apostles  who  were  most  intimately  acquainted 
with  the  character  of  their  Master,  who  were  with 
hirn  in  private  and  in  public,  who  saw  him  in 
triumph  and  in  sufferings,  who  heard  his  frequent  in- 
structions and  were  often  under  his  plain  reproof; 
they  all  testify  that  his  life  was  the  radiance  of  every 
virtue,  and  that  he  had  not  a  solitary  fault.  Peter 
calls  him  "The  Just;"  1  Peter  iii.  18.  And  again, 
"  The  Holy  One,  and  the  Just."  Acts  iii.  14.  Again, 
he  says  of  him,  "  He  did  no  sin,  neither  was  guile 
found  in  his  mouth ;  who,  when  he  was  reviled,  re- 
viled not  again;  when  he  suffered  he  threatened  not; 
but  committed  himself  to  Him  who  judgeth  righteous- 
ly." 1  Peter  ii.  22,  23.  Paul  says  of  him,  "  He  was 
holy,  harmless,  undented,  and  separate  from  sinners." 
Heb.  vii.  26.  John  says,  "  We  beheld  his  glory,  the 
glory  as  of  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of 
grace  and  truth."  Heb.  i.  14.  Again,  he  represents 
him  as  throwing  out  a  challenge  to  his  enemies,  in 
the  following  words:  "  Which  of  you  convinceth  me 
of  sin?"  Heb.  viii.  46.  Nor  is  this  all,  but  Jesus  is 
made  the  pattern  which  Apostles  were  to  imitate,  and 
all  believers  were  to  follow.  And  when,  too,  human 
nature  should  arrive  at  its  utmost  perfection,  that  per- 
fection was  to  consist  in  resemblance  to  Jesics.  "  Be- 
loved," says  John,  "  now  are  we  the  sons  of  God,  and 


THE    MESSIAH. 


81 


it  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be;  but  we 
know,  that  when  he  shall  appear,  we  shall  be  like 
him,  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is."  1  John  iii.  2. 

It  was  the  consideration  of  the  extraordinary  vir- 
tues of  Jesus,  that  extracted  even  from  an  enemy  to 
the  gospel,  the  following  spirited  eulogium.  "  Peruse 
the  works  of  our  philosophers,  with  all  their  pomp  of 
diction,  how  mean,  how  contemptible  are  they  com- 
pared with  the  Scripture.  Is  it  possible,  that  a  book 
at  once  so  simple  and  sublime,  should  be  merely  the 
work  of  man  ?  Is  it  possible  that  the  sacred  personage 
whose  history  it  contains,  should  be  himself  a  mere 
man  ?  Do  we  find  that  he  assumed  the  air  of  an 
enthusiast,  or  ambitious  sectary  ?  What  sweetness, 
what  purity  in  his  manners  !  What  an  affecting  grace- 
fulness in  his  delivery!  What  sublimity  in  his  [max- 
ims !  What  profound  wisdom  in  his  discourses  !  What 
presence  of  mind  !  What  subtlety  !  What  truth  in  his 
replies  !  How  great  the  command  over  his  passions  ! 
Where  is  the  man,  where  the  philosopher,  who  could 
so  live  and  die  without  weakness  and  without  osten- 
tation ?  Shall  we  suppose  the  evangelical  history  a 
mere  fiction  ?  Indeed,  my  friend,  it  bears  not  the 
marks  of  fiction;  on  the  contrary,  the  history  of  So- 
crates, which  no  body  presumes  to  doubt,  is  not  so 
well  attested,  as  that  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  Jewish 
authors  were  incapable  of  the  diction,  and  strangers 
to  the  morality  contained  in  the  gospel ;  the  marks  of 
whose  truths  are  so  striking  and  invincible,  that  the 
inventor  would  be  a  more  astonishing  character  than 
the  hero."* 

Here  then,  if  Jesus  be  not  the  Messiah,  is  one  of 
the  greatest  wonders  the  world  ever  beheld.  A  man 
without  depravity — a  man  without  sin,  or  fault — a 
man,  whose  life  exhibited  every  virtue,  and  who  is 
the  pattern  to  all  others  of  absolute  perfection  !  Why, 
such  a  character  ?  Did  Jehovah  mean  by  such  an 
exhibition  to  reproach  the  weaknesses  and  errors  of 
mankind?  Was  it  a  mere  freak  in  his  government — 

•  Rousseau,  Works,  Vol.  V.  pp.  215-218. 

8* 


82  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

the  mere  dropping  down  upon  earth  of  the  inhabitant 
of  some  other  sphere  ?  What  does  it  mean  ?  Why 
spotless  holiness  in  a  world  of  pollution  ?  Why  im- 
maculate benevolence  in  a  world  of  universal  selfish- 
ness? Why  the  image  God,  where  that  of  Satan  is 
chiefly  familiar?  Surely,  this  was  not  contempt,  and 
it  could  not  be  accident.  The  moral  character  of 
Jesus  proves  him  to  have  been  sent  to  us,  on  some 
high  errand  of  mercy — proves,  that  he  came  as  our 
moral  and  spiritual  liberator — proves,  that  he  was  the 
Messiah — the  Son  of  God — the  Saviour  of  men. 


THE    MESSIAH.  83 

: 

CHAPTER    X. 

JESUS   A   TEACHER. 

There  are  four  things  to  be  considered  in  estimating 
the  character  of  a  teacher;  his  preparation  for  the  task, 
the  sources  whence  he  derives  his  information,  the 
nature  of  the  truths  he  teaches,  and  the  manner  of  their 
delivery.  A  fifth  might  be  added,  viz:  the  moral 
character  of  the  teacher  himself.  But,  as  we  have  in 
a  previous  chapter  dwelt  on  this  topic,  it  is  omitted 
here,  save  only  to  remark,  that  the  doctrines  of  Jesus 
were  as  fully  illustrated  in  his  life,  as  they  were  lucidly 
expressed  by  his  lips;  for,  if  it  be  true,  that  "never 
man  spake  like  this  man,"  equally  true  is  it  that  never 
man  lived  like  this  man. 

The  preparation  necessary  to  become  an  instructer 
of  others  in  great  and  important  truths,  is  usually 
laborious  and  protracted.  Ancient  philosophers  not 
only  read  much,  and  took  long  journeys  to  distant 
countries  for  this  purpose,  but  often  subjected  them- 
selves to  the  most  rigorous  course  of  life  for  its  accom- 
plishment. They  retired  from  the  noise  of  politics, 
and  the  stir  of  business;  they  shut  themselves  up  in 
cloisters  and  even  in  caves,  that  their  habits  of  thought 
might  acquire  the  greater  perspicuity  and  elevation. 
Nor  was  this  all;  feeling  the  insufficiency  of  mere 
reason,  both  to  discover  and  to  sanction  the  truth,  they 
even  sought  intercourse  with  the  Deity,  or  with  some 
invisible  agent,  from  whom,  as  pretended  at  least,  they 
received  some  of  their  best  instructions. 

The  prophets  of  Israel  seem  also  to  have  had  a 
regular,  and  even  a  long  probation,  before  entering  on 
their  office  as  public  instructers.     Hence  Jeremiah 


84  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

complains  of  his  youth,  as  a  reason  why  he  should  not 
fill  this  office;  and  Hosea  marks  his  case  as  a  special 
exception  to  the  ordinary  course  of  things,  inasmuch 
as  he  had  been  selected  from  "  the  herdsmen  of  Te- 
koa." 

In  reference  to  Moses,  whose  character  and  station 
as  a  public  teacher,  bore  a  stronger  resemblance  to 
Jesus  than  those  of  any  other,  his  preparations  were 
unusually  thorough  and  extended.  Providence  placed 
him  in  the  court  of  Pharaoh,  where  he  was  well  in- 
structed in  "all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians."  Nor 
was  this  all;  he  was  allowed  to  spend  forty  years 
after  this  in  such  meditations  and  studies  as  might  tend 
to  qualify  him  for  the  important  office  to  which  he 
was  to  be  called. 

The  training  of  Jesus  was  different  from  all  these. 
Although,  in  obedience  to  the  legal  requirements  of 
the  Israelites,  he  entered  not  upon  his  public  ministry 
until  about  thirty  years  of  age,  yet  we  have  much 
more  evidence,  during  this  period,  that  he  was  a  me- 
chanic, than  that  he  was  a  scholar.  He  no  doubt 
received  an  education  similar  to  that  of  Peter  and  of 
John;  but  that  he  was  educated  in  the  schools,  is  ex- 
pressly denied  by  one  of  his  own  historians.  John 
vii.  15.  Jesus,  then,  may  be  said  to  have  had  no  ade- 
quate preparation,  in  the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the 
term,  for  the  great  work  of  a  moral  and  religious 
teacher.  He  had  not  been  drilled  in  the  metaphysics 
of  Aristotle;  he  acquired  no  mental  acumen  from 
the  disputations  of  the  Stoics;  he  had  not  cultivated 
his  taste  with  Plato  or  Homer;  nor  had  he  even  been 
a  regular  pupil  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees.  In  a  high 
and  peculiar  sense  he  was  both  a  self-made  scholar 
and  teacher. 

But  what  were  the  sources  from  which  Jesus  drew 
his  doctrines?  He  evidently  did  not  derive  them 
from  his  education.  This  was  no  better,  nor  even  as 
good,  as  that  of  many  of  his  hearers.  Equally  certain 
is  it,  that  he  did  not  borrow  them  from  the  Jewish 
doctors.  His  doctrine  and  theirs  were  generally  dia- 
metrically opposite.     Nor  could   lie  have  gathered 


THE    MESSIAH.  65 

them  from  the  learned  men  of  other  countries.  He 
had  no  intercourse  with  such  men;  nor  did  either  his 
theology  or  morality  agree  with  theirs.  Whence,  then, 
did  he  deduce  those  truths  of  divinity,  and  those  les- 
sons of  morality,  which  have  been  so  lauded  by  all 
candid  minds  for  the  last  eighteen  centuries  ?  To  this 
we  reply,  from  two  sources — from  revelations  al- 
ready given,  and  from  Heaven. 

No  one  can  read  the  instructions  of  Jesus,  and  not 
be  struck  with  his  familiar  and  intimate  acquaintance 
with  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament.  He  illus-  <\ 
trates,  enforces,  and  quotes  them  on  all  occasions./ 
And  although  he  often  leveled  to  the  dust  the  tradi- 
tions of  the  elders,  and  the  doctrines  of  men,  yet  he 
every  where  shows  the  greatest  regard  for  the  oracles 
of  the  living  God.  He  put  an  infinite  difference  be- 
tween tradition  and  Scripture;  the  writings  of  men, 
and  the  inspirations  of  Jehovah.  The  one  he  reve- 
renced as  the  ancient  Israelite  did  the  temple,  the 
altar,  or  the  ark;  the  other,  he  regarded  as  the  same 
Israelite  did  a  common  farm-house,  a  stable,  or  a  barn. 
The  one  he  re-affirms  and  inculcates,  the  other  he 
often  denies  and  subverts. 

One  source,  then,  of  the  doctrines  of  Jesus,  was  the 
Old  Testament  Scriptures.  "He  came  not  to  destroy 
the  law  or  the  prophets,  but  to  fulfil."  In  the  lan- 
guage of  another:  "Although  he  proposed  to  erect  a 
second  temple  of  truth,  the  glory  of  which  should 
eclipse  the  splendour  of  the  first,  yet  he  deigned  to 
appropriate  whatever  of  the  ancient  materials  remain- 
ed available."*  As  to  the  moral  truths,  however, 
he  altered  none. 

The  other  source  whence  Jesus  derived  his  doctrines 
was  from  Heaven.  "My  doctrine,  says  he,  is  not 
mine,  but  His  that  sent  me."  Johnvii.  16. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  passages  in  the  Old 
Testament  is  the  following:  "  The  Lord  thy  God,  says 
Moses,  will  raise  up  unto  thee  a  Prophet,  from  the 
midst  of  thee,  of  thy  brethren,  like  unto  me,  unto  him 

*  Great  Teacher,  by  Harris,  p.  81. 


86  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

ye  shall  hearken."  Deut.  xviii.  15.  The  allusion  here 
is  evidently  to  the  Messiah.  Joshua  was  not  a  pro- 
phet, hut  a  general ;  and  of  the  other  prophets,  none 
of  them  exercised  such  authority  over  the  Israelites  as 
Moses  had  done.  This  remarkable  prophet  or  Mes- 
siah was  to  resemble  Moses  in  many  things ;  he  was 
to  be  like  him,  yet  he  was  to  be  superior  to  him ;  for 
the  Israelites  are  directed  to  submit  themselves  entire- 
ly to  his  instructions  and  teachings,  as  announcing  in 
all  things  the  will  of  Heaven. 

The  manner,  however,  in  which  Jesus  received  the 
will  of  Heaven,  was  totally  different  from  that  in  which 
Moses  received  it.  For  this  purpose  Moses  was  call- 
ed to  the  bush,  called  to  the  mount,  or  conversed  with 
from  the  Shechinah — at  most,  he  communed  with  the 
Holy  One  only  "face  to  face."  This,  it  is  true,  is 
great  honour  for  a  mere  mortal ;  and  it  is  distinctly 
stated,  that  Moses  was  the  only  one  ever  allowed  to 
approach  so  near  to  Jehovah.  But  the  manner  in 
which  Jesus  held  intercourse  with  the  Deity,  was 
wholly  different.  He  had  no  dream  or  vision ;  he  was 
called  to  no  particular  place;  there  was  no  visible  ora- 
cle to  which  he  resorted.  He  was  himself  the  bush, 
the  mount,  the  Shechinah,  the  image  of  God.  True, 
he  prays  to  his  Father;  and  on  several  occasions,  that 
Father  called  to  him  out  of  heaven.  This,  however, 
was  done  mainly  to  establish  the  faith  of  men  in  his 
mission.  There  is  no  instance  recorded,  where  either 
by  prayer  he  sought  to  know  the  Divine  will,  or  where 
by  a  voice  from  heaven,  that  will  was  made  known 
to  him.  No;  the  knowledge  of  that  will  was  internal 
and  personal;  it  was  not  from  another,  but  from  him- 
self.  In  the  language  of  an  Apostle,  "In  him  dwelt 
all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily."  Col.  ii.  9. 

It  is  owing  to  this  mysterious  and  remarkable 
manner  in  which  Jesus  held  communion  with  the 
Deity,  that  we  often  hear  from  him  such  language  as 
the  following:  "No  man  knoweth  the  Son  but  the 
Father;  neither  knoweth  any  man  the  Father,  save  the 
Son,  and  he  to  whomsoever  the  Son  will  reveal  him." 
Matt.  xi.  27.     "  He  that  hath  seen  me,  hath  seen  the 


THE    MESSIAH. 


Father;  and  how  sayest  thou,  then,  Show  us  the  Fa- 
ther? Believest  thou  not,  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and 
the  Father  in  me?  The  words  that  I  speak  unto  you, 
I  speak  not  of  myself:  but  the  Father  that  dwelleth 
in  me,  he  doeth  the  works.  Believe  me,  that  I  am  in 
the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  me;  or  else  believe  me 
for  the  very  works'  sake."  John  xiv.  9-11.  And  the 
following,  more  remarkable  still:  "And  no  man  hath, 
ascended  up  to  heaven,  but  he  that  came  down  from 
heaven,  even  the  Son  of  man  which  is  in  heaven." 
John  iii.  13. 

Such  was  the  intimacy  which  Jesus  had  with  the 
counsels  of  Jehovah.  He  is  not  caught  up  into  hea- 
ven to  learn  them.  No  messenger  is  sent  from  hea- 
ven to  communicate  them.  There  is  no  trance  or  ap- 
parition. The  holy  oracle  dwelt  in  him.  The  Divine 
mind  emanated  from  him.  His  words  were  truth; 
they  were  attended  with  awful  power;  and  his  utter- 
ed will  was  unalterable  and  eternal.  Surely  such  an 
one  could  not  have  been  less  than  "God  manifest  in 
the  flesh."  ^ 

In  reference  to  the  truths,  which  this  great  Teacher    \ 
delivered,  they  may  be  considered  as  the  carrying  out, 
or  completion  of  a  previously  existing  and  partially 
developed  system.     He  came  not  to  "  destroy  the  law 
or  the  prophets,  but  to  fulfill." 

The  Old  Testament  Scriptures  had  left  things  in  a 
half-finished  state.  A  peculiar  providence  is  there 
exhibited  as  cleaving  to  a  certain  people,  amid  all  their 
infirmities  and  rebellions,  without  an  adequate  reason. 
A  host  of  types  are  there  displayed,  all  significant,  all 
instructive,  all  useful,  yet  all  referring  to  a  future 
something,  as  yet  undisclosed,  and  which  was  to  con- 
stitute upon  its  manifestation,  a  key  to  all  these  reli- 
gious symbols.  Numerous  prophecies  are  there 
recorded,  all  referring  to  one  who  had  not  as  yet 
appeared  ;  and  all  speaking  of  a  kingdom  not  as  yet 
commenced.  Revelation  is  there  presented  as  half- 
made — religion  as  half-taught — the  Church  of  God 
as  half-built.  It  was  left,  therefore,  for  the  Messiah, 
upon  his  appearance,  to  illustrate  and  complete  a  sys- 


88  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

tern,  thus  left  in  an  unfinished  state.  This  great  work, 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  accomplished.  His  history  vindi- 
cated the  providence  of  God  towards  the  Jewish 
nation  for  preceding  thousands  of  years.  His  teach- 
ings completed  whatever  was  left  obscure  or  unintel- 
ligible in  previous  revelations,  and  his  death  as  an 
atonement  for  sin,  unlocked  the  symbols  of  the  past, 
and  gave  to  ancient  sacrifices  and  offerings  their  true 
and  intended  meaning. 

Even  then,  if  Jesus  had  never  opened  his  mouth 
as  a  teacher,  even  if  one  unbroken  silence  had  sealed 
Iiis  lips  from  the  manger  to  the  grave ;  still,  his  very 
life  would  have  been  instruction,  and  his  every  act 
an  elucidation  of  some  great  doctrinal  truth.  But  he 
did  speak.  Of  him  it  is  expressly  said,  that  "  He 
opened  his  mouth,  and  taught."  And  what  teach- 
ings !  In  what  is  called  his  Sermon  on  the  Mount, 
what  a  powerful  elucidation  and  application  of  the 
moral  law  !  In  his  parables,  what  beautiful  and 
striking  paintings  of  the  new  system  he  was  about  to 
set  up !  Who  can  read  the  one,  without  feeling  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit  pierce  the  inmost  recesses  of  his 
soul  ?  Who  can  contemplate  the  other,  without  being 
inwardly  drawn  towards  truths  so  inimitably  depicted, 
and  without  being  captivated  by  a  teacher  so  simple 
^ret  so  sublime,  so  faithful,  yet  so  tender  in  all  his  in- 
structions ! 

The  doctrines  of  Jesus,  so  far  as  they  may  be  con- 
sidered as  peculiar  to  a  new  system,  or  as  constituting 
the  second  part  of  an  old  one,  may  be  divided  into 
three  classes.  They  refer  to  the  manifestation  of  the 
Godhead  in  man's  redemption,  to  the  duties  obligatory 
upon  those  to  whom  the  knowledge  of  such  redemp- 
tion should  be  communicated,  and  to  the  final  results  of 
his  mission  in  the  world  to  come. 

The  teachings  of  Jesus  reveal  God  in  the  work  of 
man's  redemption.  In  the  works  of  nature,  God  has 
always  been  revealed  to  the  eye  of  reason;  "  for  the 
invisible  things  of  him  from  the  creation  of  the  world 
are  clearly  seen,  being  understood  by  the  things  that 
are  made."    Jehovah  had  also  been  revealed  to  Israel 


THE    MESSIAH.  89 

as  a  lawgiver.  Amid  the  darkness  and  smoke  of 
Sinai,  the  lightnings  of  his  inflexible  justice  were 
made  fearfully  to  play ;  and  the  thunders  of  his  indig- 
nation awfully  to  roll.  In  the  incipiency  too,  of  re- 
demption, God  was  exhibited  to  the  ancients,  as  a 
God  of  mercy.  Every  angelic  visitant,  every  sweet 
promise,  every  burning  lamb  manifested  the  gracious- 
ness  of  the  divine  nature.  It  was  left,  however,  for 
the  Messiah,  the  Son  of  God,  fully  to  make  known 
the  character  of  Jehovah,  as  a  God  of  mercy.  Hence 
it  is  said  of  Jesus,  "  no  man  hath  seen  God  at  any 
time:  the  Only  Begotten  which  is  in  the  bosom  of  the 
Father,  he  hath  declared  him." — And  again,  "  the 
law  was  given  by  Moses,  but  grace  and  truth  came 
by  Jesus  Christ."    John  i.  17,  18. 

The  paternal  relation  of  the  Deity  to  mankind,  is 
clearly  and  strongly  stated  by  Jesus.  Does  he  teach 
his  disciples  to  pray  ?  he  begins  in  the  endearing  man- 
ner— "  Our  Father,  which  art  in  heaven."  Matt.  vi. 
Does  he  teach  them  confidence  in  divine, providence  ? 
It  is  by  telling  them,  "  your  heavenly  Father  knoweth 
that  ye  have  need  of  all  these  things."  Matt.  vi.  Does 
he  leave  them  in  a  world  of  trial  and  affliction  ?  It  is 
with  the  assurance — "I  ascend  to  my  Father  and  your 
Father,  to  my  God  and  your  God."  John  xx.  17. 

The  eternal  Sonship  of  the  Mediator  is  also  clearly 
exhibited  by  Jesus.  "  I,"  says  he,  "  and  my  Father  are 
one."  The  Jews  being  about  to  stone  him  for  this 
declaration,  the  reply  of  Jesus  is,  "  Many  good  works 
have  I  shown  you  of  my  Father;  for  which  of  those 
good  works  do  ye  stone  me  ?"  The  reply  is, "  For  a  good 
work  we  stone  thee  not,  but  for  blasphemy ;  and  because 
thou, being  a  man,makestthyself  God."  Jesus  proceeds 
to  vindicate  himself  from  such  a  charge.  "  Is  it  not 
written  in  your  law,  I  said  ye  are  gods  ?  If  he  called 
them  gods,  unto  whom  the  word  of  God  came — say 
ye  of  him  whom  the  Father  hath  sanctified  and  sent 
into  the  world,  Thou  blasphemest,  because  I  said,  I 
am  the  Son  of  God  ?  If  I  do  not  the  works  of  my 
Father,  believe  me  not;  but, if  I  do,  though  ye  believe 

9 


90  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

not  me,  believe  the  works,  that  ye  may  know,  that 
the  Father  is  in  me,  and  I  in  him."  John  x. 

The  personality  and  work  of  the  Spirit  are  also 
clearly  taught  by  Jesus.  "  It  is  expedient  for  you 
that  I  go  away ;  for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter 
will  not  come  ;  but  if  I  depart,  I  will  send  him  unto 
you.  And  when  he  is  come,  he  will  reprove  the  world 
of  sin,  of  righteousness  and  of  judgment."  John  xvi. 

Thus  did  Jesus  remove  the  thick  darkness  which 
surrounded  the  throne  of  the  Eternal,  and  make 
known  to  a  world  of  sinners,  the  character  of  God  as 
a  God  of  compassion  and  of  grace.  The  Father 
pities  the  miseries  and  ruin  of  our  world;  the  Son  be- 
comes incarnate  and  dies  for  its  redemption ;  and  the 
Spirit,  by  illuminating  the  hearts  of  men,  and  eradi- 
cating their  moral  pollutions,  applies  the  grace  of  sal- 
vation, and  constitutes  them  for  ever  the  sons  of  tha 
living  God. 

The  duties  inculcated  upon  those  to  whom  the 
knowledge  of  redemption  should  come,  are  repent- 
ance, faith  and  holy  obedience.  The  doctrine  of  the 
atonement  effectually  "  condemned  sin  in  the  flesh," 
and  not  only  rendered  repentance  obligatory,  but  ac- 
ceptable. The  price  of  the  sinner's  pardon  also  ex- 
hibited the  evil  of  sin,  and  was  well  calculated  to 
break  and  subdue  any  heart,  not  made  of  marble  and 
stone.  Nor  was  this  all ;  the  great  Teacher  demands 
an  implicit  faith,  not  only  in  his  doctrines  as  divinely 
true,  but  also  in  his  sacrifice  as  amply  sufficient  for 
the  sins  of  men.  Not  a  word  he  uttered  is  to  be  dis- 
credited, for  he  is  himself  "  the  truth  "  of  God.  Nor 
is  another  sacrifice  to  be  mentioned,  for  he,  and  he 
only,  is  "  the  Lamb  of  God  which  taketh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world." 

These  are  the  foundation  duties,  but  others  are  also 
enjoined.  Pride,  anger,  covetousness,  worldly  mind- 
edness,  every  evil  passion  and  act,  are  all  condemned. 
Humility,  meekness,  purity,  zeal,  devotion,  and  bro- 
therly love,  are  all  enjoined.  His  disciples  are  to  con- 
sider themselves  as  the  citizens  of  heaven,  as  the  sons 
and  heirs  of  God,  as  the  brethren  of  a  common  family; 


THE    MESSIAH.  91 

and  they  are  exhorted  to  make  Jehovah  himself  their 
pattern  and  example.  "  Be  ye  therefore  perfect,  even 
as  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  is  perfect."  Matt, 
v.  48.  If  persecuted,  they  were  not  to  resist,  and  if 
put  to  death,  they  were  not  to  desert  the  faith  taught 
them.  External  commotions  were  not  to  separate 
them  from  their  Master ;  nor  were  internal  agitations 
to  alienate  them  from  each  other.  United  to  Jesus 
by  a  common  faith,  they  were  to  be  united  to  each 
other  by  a  common  affection  ;  and  having  renounced 
the  world  at  the  beginning  of  their  discipleship,  they 
were  never  more  to  allow  it  an  ascendency  over  their 
hearts.  They  were  to  be  "  the  light  of  the  world," 
and  "  the  salt  of  the  earth ;"  and  upon  their  full  and 
patient  exemplification  of  the  doctrines  of  their  Mas- 
ter, was  to  depend,  not  only  the  honour  of  their 
Christian  character,  but  the  esteem  among  men  of 
Christianity  itself. 

But  the  teachings  of  Jesus  were  also  prospective ; 
they  embraced  another  world.  And  here,  one  cannot 
but  remark  the  vast  superiority  of  his  instructions 
above  those  of  the  ancient  prophets.  These  prophets 
saw  futurity  at  a  great  distance ;  and  although  they 
describe  it,  they  describe  it  as  one  would  a  foreign 
country,  and  not  as  he  would  speak  of  his  own. 
There  is  a  veil  thrown  over  it,  and  their  images  are 
cast  indistinctly  upon  that  veil.  The  actual  geography 
of  the  future  is  not  laid  before  us,  nor  do  we  seem  to 
know  and  commune  with  its  inhabitants.  On  the  con- 
trary, the  doctrines  of  Jesus  bring  "  life  and  immor- 
tality to  light."  Heaven  and  hell  with  him  are  places 
not  far  from  Judea,  and  eternity  presses  upon  the  sun 
of  to-morrow.  There  is  no  faintness  or  imperfection 
of  description,  but  one  has  only  to  lift  the  eye,  and  he 
s*ees  at  once,  as  living  realities  at  hand,  all  the  glories 
or  horrors  of  the  invisible  state.  Here  the  soul  of  the 
rich  man  quails  and  cries  in  all  the  miseries  and  woes 
of  the  second  death ;  there  Lazarus  reclines  in  the 
bosom  of  Abraham,  with  not  an  affliction  felt,  with 
not  a  want  ungratified.  Here  the  sudden  cry,  "  the 
Bridegroom  cometh,"  arouses  the  drowsy  expectants 


92  CHRIST    PROVED    TO   BE 

of  future  glory ;  there  the  great  white  throne  collects 
before  it  all  the  assembled  sons  of  Adam.  Here,  on 
the  one  hand,  we  see  the  wicked,  associated  with 
devils,  their  former  tempters  and  accomplices  in  crime, 
hastening  to  their  final  allotments  in  the  world  be- 
neath ;  there,  on  the  other,  we  contemplate  the  right- 
eous, justified  and  vindicated,  ascending  to  the  realms 
of  glory,  to  dwell  for  ever  in  the  paradise  of  God. 
Here  hell  exhibits  its  lurid  flames,  its  deathless  worm, 
its  ceaseless  wailings  and  gnashings  of  teeth ;  there 
the  loud  song  of  heaven  falls  upon  the  ear,  and  the 
glorified  worshippers  are  seen  occupying  their  ever- 
lasting mansions.  The  veil  is  torn  away,  and  the 
hearer  of  the  great  Teacher  seems  to  see  before  him, 
in  all  the  distinctness  of  actual  vision,  the  realities  of 
the  future  state. 

The  manner  in  which  Jesus  taught  was  adapted 
not  only  to  the  nature  of  his  subjects,  but  also  to  the 
character  of  his  hearers.  What  sublimity,  and  yet 
what  simplicity,  in  his  style !  His  thoughts  are  ma- 
jestic enough  for  the  contemplation  of  angels;  and 
yet  his  language  is  plain  enough  for  the  comprehen- 
sion of  children.  There  is  no  pomp,  no  parade.  The 
speaker  never  attempts  to  exalt  himself  or  to  astonish 
his  hearers.  All  the  ordinary  accompaniments  of 
scholastic  oratory  are  unknown;  yea,  despised.  There 
is  no  exact  position  of  the  feet,  no  regular  and  studied 
extension  of  the  hand,  no  fore-taught  intonations  of 
the  voice,  no  contortions  of  the  countenance.  On 
most  occasions,  he  does  not  even  stand  to  speak.  He 
either  sits  upon  the  side  of  a  mountain,  or  occupies  a 
seat  in  a  fisherman's  boat.  There  is,  too,  no  scaffold 
or  pulpit  built  for  him;  no  particular  place  assigned 
him,  where  the  people  are  to  expect  an  oration,  or 
to  anticipate  a  sermon:  circumstances  seem  to  have 
arranged  all  these.  He  is  as  ready  on  the  road-side 
as  in  the  temple;  at  the  dinner-table  as  in  the  syna- 
gogue. He  speaks  to  a  few  as  readily  as  to  a  multi- 
tude; and  to  one  class  of  persons  as  promptly  as  to 
another.  His  subjects  were  also  selected  in  the  same 
manner.     There  is  no  previous  notice  given  to  the 


THE    MESSIAH.  03 

people  that  he  is  to  deliver  a  discourse  on  the  law,  or 
on  the  general  judgment,  against  the  errors  of  the 
Pharisees,  or  concerning  the  nature  of  his  kingdom. 
His  teachings  seem  generally  to  have  resulted  from 
some  question  asked  him,  or  from  some  object  brought 
incidentally  before  him.  Do  the  birds  of  heaven  fly 
over  his  head,  or  the  lilies  of  the  field  bloom  beneath 
his  eye?  He  employs  them  in  his  discourse  to  incul- 
cate confidence  in  the  providence  of  God.  Are  the 
fishermen  casting  their  net  into  the  sea?  He  illus- 
trates thereby  the  effects  of  his  gospel  in  saving  men. 
Does  he  attend  a  marriage-supper?  He  makes  the 
customs  of  society,  the  midnight  procession,  the  burn- 
ing torches,  and  the  cry  of  the  porter,  all  to  illustrate 
and  enforce  the  great  truths  of  futurity.  Does  he  sit 
at  the  dinner-table  among  self-seeking  guests?  He 
inculcates  humility  in  the  selection  of  places  in  this 
world.  Is  the  exclamation  heard — "Blessed  is  he 
that  shall  eat  bread  in  the  kingdom  of  God?"  He 
seizes  at  once  upon  the  remark,  and  exhibits  by  it  the 
exceeding  reluctance  of  men,  and  especially  of  the 
Jews,  to  embrace  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation.  Do 
the  disciples  point  to  the  magnificence  of  the  temple? 
He  takes  occasion  to  predict  its  downfall,  and  even 
extends  his  remarks  to  the  fading  away  of  all  earthly 
glory,  and  the  final  introduction  of  his  eternal  king- 
dom. With  him,  wells  of  water,  dinner-tables,  vines, 
the  shepherd  watching  his  flock,  the  sower  casting 
his  seed,  the  reaper  cutting  down  his  harvest,  the 
eyes  of  the  blind,  the  weakness  of  childhood,  the 
rigour  of  creditors,  the  questions  of  enemies,  and  the 
mistakes  of  friends,  all,  all  are  texts  from  which  he 
discourses;  and  with  which  he  associates  an  eleva- 
tion of  imagery  and  a  grandeur  of  thought,  unsur- 
passed in  the  history  of  human  instruction. 

Nor  are  we  left  simply  to  the  reported  discoursesA 
of  Jesus  to  ascertain  the  excellences  of  his  mode  of  V 
communicating  truth.    The  effects  of  these  discourses 
on  the  multitudes  at  the  time,  show  their  wonderful 
power.     What  vast  audiences  heard  his  sermon  on 
the  mount!    What  crowding  companies  pressed  upon 

9* 


94  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

the  sea-shore  to  listen  to  him  as  he  sat  in  the  fisher- 
man's boat!  What  numbers  crowd  around  the  pri- 
vate houses  where  he  teaches!  What  anxiety  to 
hear  him !  What  fixed  attention !  What  bursting 
applause !  Now  the  officers  affirm, "  Never  man  spake 
like  this  man."  Now  the  people  are  said  to  be 
"astonished  at  his  doctrine,  for  he  taught  them  as 
one  having  authority,  and  not  as  the  Scribes."  And 
now  the  inmates  of  the  synagogue  are  all  "amazed 
at  the  gracious  words  which  proceeded  out  of  his 
mouth." 

And  yet,  this  great  philosopher,  this  popular 
preacher,  this  more  than  a  prophet,  is  but  an  im- 
educated  Galilean!  Well  may  we  ask,  as  did  his 
acquaintances  of  Nazareth,  "From  whence  hath  this 
man  these  things,  and  what  wisdom  is  this  which  is 
given  unto  him?"  Mark  vi.  2.  Why  so  superior  to 
all  other  Galileans?  Why  so  much  exalted  above 
philosophers  and  sages,  above  patriarchs  and  pro- 
phets ?  It  cannot  be  ascribed  to  birth,  or  education. 
It  cannot  be  ascribed  to  cunning  and  management. 
It  cannot  be  attributed  to  either  faction,  or  fanaticism, 
for  the  one  was  too  weak  even  if  it  existed;  and  the 
other  does  not  appear  either  in  the  life  or  doctrines  of 
Jesus.  Surely,  if  we  had  only  the  teachings  of  this 
remarkable  personage  as  evidence  before  us,  we 
should  be  compelled  to  admit,  that  if  ever  a  Mes- 
siah was  to  come,  he  must  be  the  person,  and  that  if 
ever  God  dwelt  in  man,  it  was  in  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 


THE    MESSIAH.  95 


CHAPTER   XI. 


JESUS   A    SACRIFICE   AND   PRIEST. 


Probably  no  part  of  the  gospel  is  more  offensive  to 
carnal  reason,  than  what  may  be  termed  its  glory- 
spot — the  vicarious  death  of  its  author.  Too  proud 
to  acknowledge  the  need  of  atonement,  too  ungrate- 
ful to  honour  him  who  has  made  such  atonement, 
haughty  man  passes  scornfully  by,  nor  turns  a  look 
to  the  cross,  on  which  expires  the  Redeemer  of  the 
world.  Thus  has  "  Christ  crucified "  always  been 
"  to  the  Jews  a  stumbling-block,  and  to  the  Greeks 
foolishness."  The  hero  who,  at  the  expense  of  toils, 
and  sufferings,  and  blood,  has  liberated  hfs  country,  is 
loudly  praised;  the  man  who  risks  his  own  life  to  res- 
cue from  death  his  friend,  is  never  forgotten.  But 
Jesus,  the  author  of  salvation — Jesus,  who  has  recon- 
ciled us  to  God  by  his  own  blood,  is,  alas!  too  often 
despised ;  and  despised  too,  because  of  his  wounds — 
because  of  his  sufferings — because  of  his  cross ! 

All  know,  that  nothing  in  the  history  of  Jesus  was 
more  obnoxious  to  the  prejudices  of  the  ancient  Jew, 
than  his  death  on  Calvary.  His  birth  in  a  stable  was 
offensive;  his  origin  at  Nazareth  was  an  objection; 
his  humble  and  mean  appearance  caused  many  to  re- 
ject him:  but  it  was  over  his  crucifixion  that  the 
whole  nation  stumbled.  This  offended  them  more  than 
every  thing  else.  "What!"  they  were  ready  proudly 
to  ask,  "What!  can  a  malefactor  save  us?  Can  the 
condemned  deliver  us?  Can  one  who  has  been  cruci- 
fied be  the  Christ,  the  chosen  of  God?"  The  same 
objection  exists  at  present  in  the  mind  of  the  modern 
Israelite.     Notwithstanding  all  the  typical  sacrifices 


96  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

which  his  forefathers  offered,  and  the  constant  use 
they  made  of  blood  to  cleanse  the  unclean,  still  he  sees 
in  the  death  of  Jesus  an  insuperable  objection  to  his 
being  the  Messiah.  With  such  an  objection  it  is  our 
province  to  reason. 

The  first  remark  I  here  make  is,  that  the  doctrine 
of  sacrifice  for  sin  is  neither  contrary  to  reason,  nor 
repugnant  to  the  sentiments  of  mankind.  Wherever 
wrong  has  been  done,  justice  requires  that  satisfaction 
should  be  rendered.  Hence,  in  all  civil  laws,  such 
satisfaction  is  usually  demanded  by  the  civil  code  it- 
self. When,  too,  the  offender  is  made  justly  sensible 
of  his  crime,  and  is  brought  to  a  proper  repentance  for 
it,  his  own  heart  prompts  him  to  some  mode  of  restitu- 
tion. He  becomes  willing  either  to  apologize,  to  make 
payment,  to  serve,  or  to  suffer,  as  the  case  may  de- 
mand. The  very  same  feeling  is  awakened  in  the 
human  bosom,  where  God  is  the  party  offended.  Not 
only  is  it  admitted  and  felt  in  this  case,  that  the  offen- 
der should  be  punished,  but  so  strong  is  this  convic- 
tion, that  wherever  the  hope  of  forgiveness  is  enter- 
tained, there  is  always  a  resort  to  some  mode  of  penal 
satisfaction.  Either  the  body  is  lacerated,  or  a  fine  is 
imposed  for  religious  purposes,  or  a  child  is  slain,  or 
an  animal  is  sacrificed. 

No  one  at  all  acquainted  with  the  history  of  man- 
kind, can  doubt  the  truth  of  these  statements.  This 
inward  sense  of  the  need  of  sacrifice  to  take  away 
sin,  is  so  much  a  component  part  of  human  nature, 
that  it  has  not  only  existed  in  all  nations,  but  may  be 
said  to  have  pervaded  the  principal  institutions  of 
every  country.  In  proof  of  this,  I  offer  the  two  fol- 
lowing authorities.  In  the  days  of  Tullus  Hostilius, 
king  of  Rome,  a  celebrated  rencontre  took  place  be- 
tween the  Curiatii  and  Horatii — one  of  the  Horatii 
alone  survived.  Provoked  at  the  lamentations  of  his 
sister  for  the  lover  he  had  killed,  he  stabbed  her  to  the 
heart.  He  was  tried  and  condemned  as  a  murderer. 
Through  an  appeal,  however,  made  to  the  people  by 
his  father,  his  punishment  was  remitted.  A  sense  of 
justice,  however,  produced  the  following  mode  of  its 


THE    MESSIAH.  97 

remission:  "Itaque,  ut  cgedes  manifesta  aliquo  tamen 
piaculo  lueretur,  imperatum  patri,  ut  filium  expiaret 
pecunia  publica.  Is,  quibusdam  piacularibus  sacrifi- 
ciis  factis,  transmisso  per  viamtigillo,  capite  adoperto, 
velut  sub  jugum  misit  juvenem."*  "Wherefore,  that 
so  plain  a  case  of  murder  might  be  expiated  by  some 
sort  of  atonement,  it  was  required  of  the  father,  that 
he  should  expiate  his  son's  crime  at  the  expense  of 
the  state.  He,  certain  propitiatory  sacrifices  hav- 
ing been  offered,  caused  his  son  to  pass  under  a  beam 
suspended  across  a  road,  with  his  head  covered,  as  if 
under  a  gallows."  As  murder  was  a  crime  against 
the  state,  the  father  of  Horatius  made  the  murderer 
pass  under  a  beam,  as  a  public  recognition  of  his  desert 
of  death;  but  since  it  was  also  a  crime  against  the 
gods,  certain  expiatory  sacrifices  were  offered. 

The  next  authority  is  that  of  a  learned  Jewish  Rab- 
bin. Abarbanel  gives  the  following  explanation  of  the 
import  of  ancient  sacrifices:  "They  burned  the  fat  and 
kidneys  of  the  victims  upon  the  altar,  for  their  own 
inwards,  being  the  seat  of  their  intentions  and  pur- 
poses; and  the  legs  of  the  victims  for  their  own  hands 
and  feet;  and  they  sprinkled  their  blood,  instead  of 
their  own  blood  and  life,  confessing  that  in  the  sight 
of  God,  the  Just  Judge  of  things,  the  blood  of  the  offer- 
ers should  be  shed,  and  their  bodies  burnt  for  their 
sins:  but,  that  through  the  mercy  of  God,  expiation 
was  made  for  them  by  the  victim  being  put  in  their 
place,  by  whose  blood  and  life,  the  blood  and  life  of 
the  offerers  were  redeemed. "t 

I  remark,  again,  that  if  the  object  of  the  mission  of 
the  Messiah  be  moral  and  not  political;  if  it  refer 
to  deliverance  from  sin  and  misery,  and  not  from 
national  oppression,  then  was  it  necessary  that  he 
should  bring  with  him  some  adequate  sacrifice  or  satis- 
faction, in  order  to  redeem  men  from  the  condemna- 
tion under  which  they  were  lying.  The  law  of  God 
had   been  violated;  it  must  therefore   be  honoured. 

*  Livy,  B.  I.  c.  xxvi.  t  Magee,  I.  200. 


98  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

Divine  wrath  had  been  justly  provoked;  it  must  there- 
fore be  appeased.  But  how  can  this  be  done  with- 
out a  price — without  a  sacrifice?  Had  the  Messiah, 
therefore,  appeared  as  our  great  Deliverer,  and  yet 
brought  with  him  no  means  of  deliverance,  no  ran- 
som for  our  souls,  his  mission  would  have  been  alto- 
gether abortive.  Divine  justice  would  still  have  held 
its  captives,  and  Divine  wrath  would  still  have  con- 
tinued upon  the  offenders  of  a  holy  God. 

Precisely  what  this  sacrificial  offering  should  be,  on 
the  part  of  the  Messiah,  human  reason  is  not  prepared 
to  say.  It  might  consist  in  the  sacrifice  of  himself,  or 
it  might  consist  in  some  other  mode  of  ransom.  Mere 
human  reason  could  never  decide  this  question.  But 
that  a  price  should  be  brought,  that  satisfaction  should 
be  made,  is  the  obvious  dictate  of  the  sentiments  and 
consciousness  of  mankind  on  this  subject. 

I  remark,  thirdly,  that  the  Jewish  scriptures  univer- 
sally teach,  that  the  Messiah  was  to  be  a  sacrifice 
for  sin.  This  is  taught  in  the  very  first  promise  of  a 
future  Saviour.  "He  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou 
shalt  bruise  his  heel."  The  following  exposition  of 
this  passage  is  given  in  Poole's  Synopsis:  "  Christi 
caput  est  Divinitas;  calcaneum  Humanitas,  quam  dum 
offendit  et  occidit  Daemon,  occisus  est."  "The  head  of 
Christ  is  his  divinity,  his  heel  his  humanity;  which 
while  Satan  persecuted  and  killed,  he  was  himself  de- 
stroyed.*" The  same  interpretation  kis  given  to  this 
passage  by  Dr.  Adam  Clarke:  "And  Satan  bruises  his 
heel.  God  so  ordered  it,  that  the  salvation  of  man 
could  only  be  brought  about  by  the  death  of  Christ."^ 
Henry  also  says,  "  Christ's  sufferings  and  death  were 
pointed  at  in  Satan's  bruising  his  heel,  which  is  his 
human  nature." X  Thus  is  the  very  first  ray  of  gos- 
pel light,  tinged  with  a  streak  of  sacrificial  blood ; 
thus  does  the  first  promise  of  deliverance  for  man,  in- 
dicate a  suffering  Deliverer. 

The  same  truth  is  also  exhibited  in  all  the  human 
types  of  a  coming  Messiah.     Is  Adam  a  type  of  that 

*  In  loco.        t  In  loco.        t  In  loco. 


THE    MESSIAH.  99 

Messiah?  It  was  upon  him  that  the  sentence  of 
death  was  pronounced.  Was  Abel  a  type  of  the  Mes- 
siah? He  was  wickedly  and  unjustly  slain  by  his  bro- 
ther. Was  Noah  a  type  of  Messiah  ?  He  was  for  more 
than  a  year  enclosed  within  an  ark,  and  buried,  as  it 
were,  in  the  bosom  of  a  flood.  Was  Isaac  a  type  of 
Messiah?  His  father's  hand  and  knife  were  lifted 
up  against  him,  and  just  ready  to  make  him  a  burnt- 
offering,  had  not  Jehovah  prevented.  Was  Joseph 
such  a  type?  He  was  hated  of  his  brethren,  cast  into 
a  deep  pit,  sold  into  Egypt,  thrown  into  prison,  and 
only  by  sufferings  made  his  way  to  the  throne.  Was 
Moses  such  a  type?  He  lay  in  infancy  exposed  to  the 
crocodiles  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  and  was  after- 
wards threatened  with  death  by  Pharaoh.  Was  Da- 
vid a  type  of  Messiah  ?  He  was  for  years  persecuted 
by  Saul,  and  hid  in  the  caves  and  dens  of  the  earth. 
So  of  all  the  human  symbols  of  the  great  Redeemer. 
Their  lives  were  all  characterized  by  suffering;  and 
in  this  respect  they  prefigured  Him  who  was  "  a  man 
of  sorrows/'  and  "  who  gave  his  life  a  ransom  for 
many." 

It  is,  however,  in  the  animal  types  of  the  ancients, 
that  we  more  clearly  learn  the  sufferings  of  a  pro- 
mised Messiah.  The  sacrifice  of  animals  as  a  reli- 
gious rite,  had  its  origin  at  a  very  early  period  of  the 
world.  The  first  allusion  to  such  a  practice,  was  in 
the  days  of  Adam.  Gen.  hi.  21.  That  Abel  offered 
such  sacrifices,  is  distinctly  stated.  Gen.  iv.  4.  The 
practice  was  also  common  in  the  days  of  Noah.  Gen. 
vii.  20,  21.  From  these  early  patriarchs  this  custom 
extended  itself  among  almost  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth. 

Now,  whence  the  origin  of  this  religious  ceremony? 
It  certainly  was  not  a  device  of  man.  It  must,  there- 
fore, have  been  from  God.  But  if  from  God,  what 
was  its  design  ?  It  certainly  was  not  a  vain  ceremony ; 
much  less  could  it  have  been  a  mere  act  of  cruelty. 
This  practice  was  evidently  introduced,  as  indicating 
some  method  of  removing  sin.  Either  the  death  of  the 
animal  excited  compunction  on  the  part  of  the  offerer; 


100  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

or,  the  animal  itself  was  considered  as  his  substitute ; 
or,  such  sacrifice  was  typical  of  a  nobler  offering  for 
sin.  In  the  first  of  these  methods  alone,  sin  could  not 
be  removed.  However  deep  one's  sorrow  for  a  crime, 
such  sorrow  can  never  make  amends  for  the  crime 
itself.  The  thief  is  not  liberated  because  of  his  tears; 
nor  is  the  murderer  released  when  he  repents.  Nor 
can  sin  be  removed  by  the  second  method.  A  mere 
animal  can  never  be  a  legal  satisfaction  for  sins  com- 
mitted against  Jehovah.  Even  for  crimes  against  a 
neighbour,  the  Jewish  law  required,  not  only  sacrifice, 
but  also  restitution.  Lev.  vi.  There  were  many 
crimes  too,  where  sacrifice  was  inadmissible  :  but  the 
criminal  suffered  death  as  the  only  adequate  punish- 
ment. If,  too,  animal  sacrifices  were  real  atonements 
for  sin,  then  ought  they  never  to  be  abolished ;  for 
men  would  need  them  now  as  much  as  in  past  ages. 
It  is  evident,  however,  that  such  sacrifices  were  not 
considered  by  God  as  real  atonements,  nor  were  they 
so  regarded,  by  the  better  informed  of  the  Jewish  na- 
tion. 

What  then  was  their  design?  They  were  evidently 
intended  to  prefigure  the  vicarious  death  of  the  Mes- 
siah, as  the  only  adequate  substitute  for  the  guilt  of 
man.  They  originated  with  the  promise,  "  the  seed 
of  the  woman  shall  bruise  the  serpent's  head;"  and 
they  were  abolished  when  Jesus  exclaimed  upon  the 
cross,  "  //  is  finished"  and  yielded  up  his  spirit.  It 
was  then  that  "  sacrifice  and  oblation  were  caused  to 
cease,"  and  that  real  u  reconciliation  was  made  for 
iniquity."  Dan.  ix.  24,  27. 

Every  sacrifice,  therefore,  that  was  offered  under 
the  Jewish  economy — the  dove,  the  lamb,  the  goat, 
the  bullock — were  all  expressive  of  a  suffering  and 
dying  Messiah.  The  sacrifices  of  Adam  and  of  Noah, 
of  Greeks  and  Romans,  indeed  of  the  whole  world, 
were  expressive  of  this  truth. 

But  there  are  also  many  plain  and  express  texts 
of  Scripture,  which  assert,  that  the  Messiah  was  to 
be  a  sacrifice  for  sin.  In  the  22d  Psalm,  the  fol- 
lowing language  is  put  in  the  mouth  of  the  Messiah 


THE    MESSIAH.  101 

by  the  pen  of  inspiration — "I  am  ponred  out  like 
water,  and  all  my  bones  are  out  of  joint:  my  heart  is 
like  wax :  it  is  melted  in  the  midst  of  my  bowels.  My 
strength  is  dried  up  like  a  potsherd;  and  my  tongue 
cleaveth  to  my  jaws;  and  thou  hast  brought  me  to 
the  dust  of  death.  For  dogs  have  compassed  me : 
the  assembly  of  the  wicked  have  enclosed  me:  they 
pierced  my  hands  and  my  feet.  They  part  my  gar- 
ments among  them,  and  cast  lots  upon  my  vesture." 
14-18.  That  this  Psalm  refers  to  the  Messiah  is  al- 
most absolutely  certain.  "  By  far  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  interpreters,"  says  Hengstenberg,"  acknowledge 
the  Messiah  as  the  exclusive  subject  of  this  Psalm. 
This  interpretation  was  followed  by  a  portion  of  the 
older  Jews.  It  has  also  been  the  prevailing  one  in 
the  Christian  church."*  If,  however,  this  Psalm 
refer  to  the  Messiah,  then  was  that  Messiah  to  be 
a  suffering  and  dying  Messiah.  Indeed,  the  very 
manner  of  his  death  is  predicted — that  of  crucifixion, 
"  they  pierced  my  hands  and  my  feet." 

Another  passage  even  more  explicit  is  found  in  the 
53d  chapter  of  Isaiah — "  He  is  despised  and  rejected 
of  men.  He  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions;  he 
was  bruised  for  our  iniquities.  The  Lord  hath  laid 
on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all.  It  pleased  the  Lord  to 
bruise  him;  he  hath  put  him  to  grief.  When  thou 
shalt  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  he  shall  see 
his  seed,  he  shall  prolong  his  days,  and  the  pleasure 
of  the  Lord  shall  prosper  in  his  hand."  "  The  Jews," 
says  Hengstenberg,  "  in  more  ancient  times,  unani- 
mously referred  this  prophecy  to  the  Messiah."t 
In  this  interpretation  he  also  asserts  "the  best  in- 
terpreters" to  be  agreed.  "What  impostor,"  asks 
Barnes,  "ever  would  have  attempted  to  fulfil  a  pro- 
phecy, by  subjecting  himself  to  a  shameful  death? 
What  impostor  could  have  brought  it  about  in  this 
manner,  if  he  had  attempted  it?  No.  It  was  only 
the  true  Messiah  that  could  or  would  have  fulfilled 
this  prophecy.";}:     But,  if  these  passages  refer  to  the 

*  Chris,  i.  132.  +  Chris,  i.  541.  %  Notes  on  Isaiah. 

10 


102  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

Messiah,  then  was  that  Messiah  to  die  as  a  sacrifice 
for  sin. 

The  prophet  Zechariah  employs  on  this  subject  the 
following  language — "  Awake,  0  sword,  against  my 
Shepherd,  and  against  the  man  that  is  my  fellow,  saith 
the  Lord  of  hosts.  Smite  the  Shepherd,  and  the  sheep 
shall  be  scattered."  xiii.  7.  Daniel  is  even  more  ex- 
plicit. "  And  after  threescore  and  two  weeks  shall 
Messiah  be  cut  off,  but  not  for  himself."  ix.  26. 

All  these,  together  with  a  great  number  of  similar 
passages,  plainly  foretell  that  the  Messiah  was  to  suf- 
fer death,  and  that  that  death  was  to  be  a  sacrifice  for 
si?i.  Was  the  death  then  of  Jesus,  truly  and  properly 
such  a  sacrifice?  That  he  died,  neither  Jews  nor  Chris- 
tians will  deny.  It  is  the  nature  of  that  death  about 
which  we  are  concerned.  On  this  subject  I  offer  the 
following  remarks. 

The  death  of  Jesus  was  evidently  not  for  crime. 
We  have  already  noticed  that  in  all  the  relations  and 
duties  of  life,  "  he  was  harmless  and  undented."  Nor 
was  he  guilty  of  the  specific  crime  alleged  against  him 
before  the  Governor.  That  crime  was  treason.  His 
judge  himself,  however,  declared,  "  I  find  in  him  no 
fault  at  all."  John  xviii.  38. 

Nor  was  the  death  of  Jesus  a  matter  of  coercion. 
True,  he  was  bound  by  the  soldiers,  and  afterwards 
violently  condemned  and  crucified.  Still  he  had  all 
the  power  necessary  for  his  deliverance.  Even  at 
this  period  of  apparent  weakness  and  desertion, 
"  twelve  legions  of  angels"  stood  ready  at  his  call. 
He  must  then  have  suffered  death  voluntarily.  But 
if  he  suffered  death  voluntarily,  and  was  yet  free  from 
all  crime,  there  is,  to  say  the  least,  a  strong  probability 
that  his  death  was  of  a  sacrificial  and  not  of  an  ordi- 
nary character. 

But  I  remark  thirdly,  that  Jesus  uniformly  taught, 
that  reconciliation  or  atonement  was  to  be  effected 
by  his  death.  "And  he  took  the  cup,  and  gave 
thanks,  and  gave  it  to  them  saying,  Drink  ye  all  of 
it;  for  this  is  my  blood  of  the  New  Testament  which 
is  shed  for  many,  for  the  remission  of  sins."  Matt. 


THE    MESSIAH.  103 

xxvi.  27,  28.  The  following  testimony  given  after 
his  resurrection  is  still  more  explicit :  "  And  he  said 
unto  them,  Thus  it  is  written,  and  thus  it  behoved 
Christ  to  suffer  and  to  rise  from  the  dead  the  third 
day;  and  that  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  should 
be  preached  in  his  name,  among  all  nations,  beginning 
at  Jerusalem."  Luke  xxiv.  46,  47. 

The  Apostles  also  put  the  same  construction  upon 
the  death  of  their  Master.  They  never  for  once 
considered  him  to  have  died  as  a  martyr,  much  less 
as  a  criminal.  They  uniformly  declare,  that  his  death 
was  vicarious,  that  by  it  forgiveness  of  sins  was  ob- 
tained, and  that  it  was  that  alone  which  reconciled 
us  to  God.  "  For  he  hath  made  him  to  be  sin  for 
us  who  knew  no  sin,  that  we  might  be  made  the 
righteousness  of  God  in  him."  2  Cor.  v.  21.  In 
his  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  the  Apostle  also  declares, 
"  Christ  was  once  offered  to  bear  the  sins  of  many." 
Heb.  ix.  28.  And  again,  "  Christ  hath  redeemed  us 
from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being  made  a  curse  for  us." 
Gal.  iii.  13.  This  is  their  uniform  testimony;  and  it 
was  this  fact — the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ 
Jesus — which  animated  their  hearts,  and  inspired 
them  with  a  zeal,  which  no  persecutions  could  allay, 
which  no  sufferings  could  extinguish.  They  gloried 
in  the  cross,  as  an  expiatory  offering  for  sin,  and 
were  willing  to  rest,  not  only  their  lives,  but  their 
souls,  upon  its  sufficiency  and  validity. 

Why  then  should  the  Jew,  or  the  infidel  stumble 
at  the  cross  of  Jesus?  Have  they  no  sin  to  be 
removed  ?  or,  do  they  imagine  that  sin  can  be  par- 
doned without  a  sacrifice — without  an  atonement? 
Or  if  a  sacrifice  is  necessary,  why  is  it,  that  this  one 
provided  with  so  much  cost,  with  so  much  prepara- 
tion, should  be  despised?  The  death  of  Jesus  as  a 
sacrifice  for  sin,  was  predicted  in  the  garden  to  Adam; 
it  was  even  "  fore-ordained  before  the  foundation 
of  the  world."  All  the  types  and  symbols  of  the 
pre-existing  systems  refer  to  it;  and  it  was  the  bur- 
den of  much  of  that  Scripture  which  holy  men  of 


104  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

God  dictated,  "as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy 
Ghost." 

Whatever  use,  however,  Jew  or  Gentile  shall  make 
of  the  death  of  Jesus,  still  will  it  stand  to  the  end  of 
the  world,  as  an  irrefragable  proof  of  his  Messiah- 
ship.  It  was  predicted  of  the  Messiah,  that  he  should 
be  "  bruised,"  that  he  should  be  "set  at  naught/'  that 
he  should  be  "  pierced,"  that  "  his  soul  should  be 
made  an  offering  for  sin."  All  these  things,  even  in 
the  most  minute  manner,  have  been  fulfilled  in  Jesus; 
and  they  have  been  fulfilled  in  no  other.  The  very 
cross,  then,  its  wood,  its  nails,  its  spear,  its  blood  and 
death,  all  proclaim,  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Sa- 
viour of  men. 

But  the  Messiah  was  also  to  be  a  priest.  "  The 
term  Messiah"  says  a  Jewish  writer,  "  is  applicable 
to  a  king,  to  a  prophet,  and  also  to  a  high  priest"*  In 
proof  of  the  last,  he  quotes  from  Ex.  xxix.  7;  "  Thou 
shalt  also  take  the  anointing  oil  and  pour  it  upon  his 
(Aaron's)  head  and  anoint  him." 

The  passage  of  Scripture  which  more  clearly  exhibits 
the  priestly  character  of  the  Messiah  than  any  other,  is 
Psalm  ex.  4.  "  The  Lord  hath  sworn  and  will  not  re- 
pent, Thou  art  a  priest  for  ever  after  the  order  of  Mel- 
chizedek."  That  the  Messiah  is  the  subject  of  this 
Psalm,  has  been  almost  universally  believed.  The 
Jews  themselves  in  the  days  of  Jesus,  did  not  pretend 
to  deny  it.  Matt.  xxii.  41-46.  And  although  their 
opposition  to  Christianity  has  induced  many  of  them 
to  consider  Hezekiah,  Zerubbabel,  the  Jewish  nation 
itself,  or  even  Abraham,  as  its  subject,  yet  says  Heng- 
stenberg,  "the  weight  of  the  internal  evidence,  and  the 
authority  of  tradition  induced  many  of  the  older  Jews 
to  adhere  to  the  Messianic  interpretation."!  The 
Christian  Church  generally,  and  the  early  fathers  in 
particular,  considered  this  as  the  only  true  sense  of 
the  Psalm.  Says  Theodoret,  "  if  David,  who  stood 
on  the  highest  eminence  of  human  greatness,  called 

*  Rabbi  Joseph  Crooll.    Scott's  Works,  vol.  ix. 
t  Chris.  1. 108. 


THE    MESSIAH.  105 

another  his  Lord,  that  person  must  of  necessity  possess 
more  than  human  dignity" — («"*  <*/>*  f**o*  *v&imros,  *kk* 
h*.i  &toS)m  If?  however,  the  Messiah  was  the  subject  of 
this  Psalm,  he  was  to  be  not  only  a  king,  (t?d)  but 
also  a.  priest  (]^). 

In  the  part  of  this  Psalm,  in  which  the  priest- 
hood of  the  Messiah  is  asserted,  the  following  par- 
ticulars are  to  be  observed:  His  priesthood  is  intro- 
duced with  an  oath — "  the  Lord  hath  sworn  and  will 
not  repent."  This  intimates  not  only  the  certainty  of 
the  event,  but  the  vast  importance  of  the  priesthood 
itself.  It  is  also  asserted  in  this  passage,  that  this 
peculiar  priest  was  to  arise,  not  after  the  order  of 
Aaron,  but  after  that  of  Melchizedek.  He  was  to  be 
a  priest,  not  by  human,  but  by  express  divine  appoint- 
ment. His  priesthood,  too,  was  to  be  perpetual;  it 
was  never  to  cease;  "  thou  art  a  priest  for  ever."  Nor 
was  this  perpetuity  of  the  priesthood  to  result  from  a 
succession  of  different  priests;  it  was  to  be  confined 
to  one  person,  the  Messiah. 

Do  the  New  Testament  Scriptures  then  teach,  that 
Jesus  possessed  any  such  priesthood  ?  On  this  sub- 
ject, we  must  refer  particularly  to  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews.  This  Epistle  was  written  by  a  Jew,  was 
addressed  to  the  Jews,  and  it  discusses  this  very  sub- 
ject. In  chapter  iii,  the  Apostle  says,  "  Wherefore, 
holy  brethren,  consider  the  Apostle  and  High  Priest 
of  our  profession,  Christ  Jesus."  Again,  in  chapter  iv, 
he  says,  "  We  have  a  great  High  Priest,  that  is  passed 
into  the  heavens,  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God."  Again,  in 
chapter  ix,  he  declares  that,  "  Christ  being  come  an 
High  Priest  of  good  things  to  come,  by  a  greater  and 
more  perfect  tabernacle,  not  made  with  hands,  that  is 
to  say,  not  of  this  building;  neither  by  the  blood  of 
goats  and  calves,  but  by  his  own  blood  he  entered  in 
once  into  the  holy  place,  having  obtained  eternal  re- 
demption for  us." 

There  is,  then,  a  Christian  as  well  as  a  Jewish 
priesthood.  This  Christian  priesthood  has  been  set 
up  in  the  person  of  Jesus,  our  Lord  and  Saviour.  It 
is  not  an  earthly, but  a  heavenly  office;  nor  is  it  tenv 

10* 


106  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

porary;  it  is  to  last  to  the  end  of  the  world.  Being 
set  up  in  one  who  rose  from  the  dead,  who  is  really- 
immortal,  it  cannot  be  abrogated  or  changed  by- 
death. 

Now  there  is  no  similar  priesthood  to  this  among 
the  Jews;  nor  has  there  ever  been.  "A  priest  for 
ever"  they  have  never  known;  nor  have  they  had 
one  set  up  "after  the  order  of  Melchizedek."  But 
such  a  priesthood  the  New  Testament  makes  known 
to  us.  It  represents  Jesus  as  the  very  priest  pre- 
dicted in  the  1 10th  Psalm.  And  what  makes  this  more 
striking  is,  that  this  Christian  priesthood  is  exercised 
at  a  time,  when  the  Jews  have  neither  temple  nor 
altar,  High  Priest  nor  Holy  of  Holies;  yea,  when 
their  capital  is  in  the  hands  of  strangers,  and  they 
themselves  are  scattered  to  the  ends  of  the  earth ! 
What  means  all  this  ?  Surely,  either  Jesus  must  be 
both  High  Priest  and  King,  or  else  royalty  and  priest- 
hood have  perished  in  Israel. 

We  consider,  therefore,  the  present  priestly  cha- 
racter of  Jesus,  both  as  fulfilment  of  prophecy,  and  as 
proof  of  his  Messiahship.  The  prediction  of  such  a 
priesthood  has  been  fulfilled  in  no  other;  it  has,  how- 
ever, been  fulfilled  in  him.  He  it  is,  who  is  now 
sitting  "at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father,"  as  a  King 
and  Sovereign  ;  and  who  is  also  exercising  a  priestly 
office  in  heaven,  not  after  the  order  of  Aaron,  but 
after  that  of  Melchizedek. 


THE    MESSIAH.  107 


HAPTER   XII. 


JESUS   A   KINO. 


It  is  evident  from  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures,  that 
the  Messiah  was  to  be  a  sovereign.  "  The  sceptre," 
says  Jacob,  "  shall  not  depart  from  Judah,  nor  a  law- 
giver from  between  his  feet  until  Shilohcome:  and 
unto  him  shall  the  gathering  of  the  people  be."  Gen. 
xlix.  10.  In  the  second  Psalm,  Jehovah  is  represent- 
ed as  saying  of  the  Messiah,  "Yet  have  I  set  my  King 
upon  my  holy  hill  of  Zion."  ver.  6.  Jeremiah  also 
employs  the  following  language:  "Behold,  the  days 
come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  I  will  raise  unto  David  a 
righteous  Branch,  and  a  King  shall  reign  and  prosper, 
and  shall  execute  judgment  and  justice  in  the  earth. 
In  his  days  Judah  shall  be  saved,  and  Israel  shall 
dwell  safely;  and  this  is  the  name  whereby  he  shall 
be  called,  The  Lord  our  Righteousness."  Jer.  xxiii. 
5,6. 

These  are  but  a  few  of  the  many  passages  which 
predict  the  royalty  of  the  great  Deliverer.  Indeed,  the 
Jews  themselves  have  never  doubted  but  that  their 
Messiah  was  to  be  a  Prince.  It  was,  too,  chiefly  for 
the  unprincely  appearance  of  Jesus,  that  they  were 
led  to  reject  and  crucify  him. 

If,  then,  it  be  affirmed  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  the 
promised  Messiah,  his  pretensions  to  royalty  must  be 
defended.  It  is  not  enough  that  he  be  a  great  teacher ; 
it  is  not  enough  that  he  possess  the  most  worthy  char- 
acter; it  is  not  enough  that  he  have  power  to  work 
miracles;  or  that  he  be  lineally  descended  from  David; 
that  he  appear  at  the  right  epoch,  and  be  born  in  the 
predicted  place.  It  must  also  be  demonstrated  that 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  a  King. 


108  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

It  is  evident  that  if  we  understand  the  word  "  king," 
in  its  ordinary  acceptation,  the  past  history  of  Jesus 
cannot  maintain  his  claims  to  that  office.  His  appear- 
ance was  more  that  of  a  beggar  than  of  a  king,  and 
his  end  was  more  that  of  a  criminal,  than  of  one  pos- 
sessed of  supreme  authority. 

Yet,  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  a  King. 

He  was  so  recognized  by  many  during  his  earthly 
life.  Say  the  wise  men  from  the  east,  "Where  is  he 
that  is  born  King  of  the  Jews?"  Matt.  ii.  2.  Says 
Zacharias,  "  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  for  he 
hath  raised  up  an  horn  (that  is,  king)  of  salvation  for 
us  in  the  house  of  David."  Luke  i.  69.  Nathanaei 
also  said  to  him,  "  Rabbi,  thou  art  the  Son  of  God ; 
thou  art  the  King  of  Israel."  John  i.  49.  The  multi- 
tude, too,  who  attended  Jesus  to  Jerusalem,  just  be- 
fore his  crucifixion,  sang  as  he  entered  the  city, 
"  Blessed  be  the  King  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord;  peace  in  heaven  and  glory  in  the  highest." 
Luke  xix.  38.  The  thief  on  the  cross  speaks  of  his 
kingdom;  and  when  Jesus  himself  was  interrogated 
by  the  Roman  governor:  "Art  thou  a  king  then;" 
his  reply  was,  "  Thou  sayest,  that  I  am  a  ki?ig." 
John  xviii.  37.  The  superscription,  too,  written  on 
his  very  cross  was,  "  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  King  of 
the  Jews."  John  xix.  19. 

From  the  manger,  then,  to  his  cross,  Jesus  of  Naza- 
reth was  considered  by  many  as  a  King.  They  re- 
spected him  as  such ;  they  sang  his  praises  as  such. 
This  truth,  too,  was  his  dying  confession;  and  was 
even  written  over  his  head  when  suffering  the  agonies 
of  crucifixion. 

The  kingly  character  of  Jesus  may  also  be  defended 
upon  another  principle,  often  asserted  and  invariably 
recognized  in  the  New  Testament.  This  principle  is, 
that  in  Jesus  of  Nazareth  there  was  the  actual  indwell- 
ing of  the  great  Theocrat  of  the  previous  dispensa- 
tion. 

This  truth  is  taught  in  such  passages  as  the  fol- 
lowing: "In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the 
Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God.     And 


THE    MESSIAH.  109 

the  Word  was  made  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us." 
John  i.  "And  without  controversy  great  is  the  mys- 
tery of  godliness.  God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh, 
justified  in  the  Spirit,  seen  of  angels,  preached  unto 
the  Gentiles,  believed  on  in  the  world,  received  up 
into  glory."  1  Tim.  hi.  16.  "God,  who,  at  sundry 
times,  and  in  divers  manners,  spake  in  times  past 
unto  the  fathers  by  the  prophets,  hath  in  these  last 
days  spoken  unto  us  by  his  Son,  whom  he  hath  ap- 
pointed heir  of  all  things,  by  whom  also  he  made  the 
worlds,  who  being  the  brightness  of  his  glory,  and  the 
express  image  of  his  person,  and  upholding  all  things 
by  the  word  of  his  power,  when  he  had  by  himself 
purged  our  sins,  sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
Majesty  on  high."  Heb.  i.  The  sublime  vision,  too, 
which  Isaiah  had  of  the  glory  of  Jehovah,  is  in  the 
New  Testament  ascribed  to  Jesus.  "  These  things 
said  Esaias,  when  he  saw  his  glory  and  spake  of  him." 
John  xii.  41. 

Now,  if  it  be  admitted,  that  in  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
there  was  an  indwelling  Divinity — yea,  that  the  very 
same  illustrious  Being,  who  appeared  to  Abraham, 
who  spake  to  Moses,  who  delivered  the  law  from 
Sinai,  who  dwelt  in  the  Shechinah,  was  actually 
manifested  in  the  person  of  Jesus;  if,  we  say,  this  be 
admitted,  then  is  the  royalty  of  Jesus  established 
beyond  all  doubt.  For  if  the  Jehovah  of  the  Old 
Testament  was  in  reality  the  King  of  Israel,  the 
Jehovah  of  the  New,  must  also  be  in  like  manner 
Israel's  King.  The  difference  in  the  form  under 
which  he  appeared  et  these  two  different  periods, 
cannot  change  either  '  his  character  or  his  rights. 
Hence  the  complaint  alleged  by  John  against  the 
Jews  for  not  receiving  Jesus — "He  came  unto  his 
own,  but  his  own  received  him  not."  John  i.  11. 

The  New  Testament,  however,  expressly  declares 
that  Jesus  is  not  only  a  King,  but  the  greatest  of  all 
Kings.  He  is  said  to  be — "Head  over  all  things."* 
"Lord  of  all;"t  "the  Head  of  the  corner j"J  "both 

*  Eph.  i.  22.  t  Acts  x.  36.  X  Acts  iv.  11 . 


110  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

Lord  and  Christ;"*  a  prince  and  a  Saviour;"!  "King 
of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords.";}: 

The  kingly  character  and  office  of  Jesus,  however, 
not  only  differ  from  those  of  all  earthly  monarchs, 
but  far  excel  them.  His  character  as  sovereign  is  far 
superior.  Most  earthly  kings  have  been  not  only  of 
inferior,  but  even  of  base  character.  Many  of  them 
have  been  ambitions,  many  tyrannical,  many  weak, 
and  many  addicted  to  the  foulest  vices.  On  the  con- 
trary, the  royalty  of  Jesus  is  tarnished  by  no  misdeed, 
but  adorned  with  every  virtue.  He  is  possessed 
of  infinite  wisdom,  absolute  purity,  unerring  justice, 
and  boundless  benevolence  and  sympathy  towards 
his  subjects.  What  renders  his  kingly  character,  too, 
infinitely  attractive,  is,  that  it  is  blended  with  that  of 
Saviour.  He  has  redeemed  with  his  own  blood  the 
subjects  he  rules,  and  with  a  mighty  arm  is  leading 
them  from  under  the  bondage  of  the  great  oppressor, 
to  a  place  of  absolute  security  and  peace. 

His  right  to  rule  is  also  differently  established  from 
that  of  mere  earthly  sovereigns.  Many  earthly  kings 
are  usurpers;  or  are  the  exponents  of  faction;  or  at 
most,  hold  their  thrones  by  established  usage  or  the 
popular  will.  Not  so  with  Jesus.  He  is  the  anointed 
of  God.  Jehovah  has  placed  him  upon  his  holy  hill; 
has  "constituted  him  the  heir  of  all  things;"  and 
"given  him  a  name  that  is  above  every  name." 

The  throne,  too,  which  Jesus  occupies  is  far  more 
glorious,  than  that  of  the  kings  of  the  earth.  He  is 
seated  "on  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty  on  -high;" 
"he  has  sat  down  with  his  Father  in  his  throne." 
Earthly  monarchs  dwell  in  earthly  palaces,  they  oc- 
cupy thrones  of  ivory,  of  cedar,  or  of  some  costly 
materials.  Jesus,  however,  has  passed  into  heaven 
itself,  and  occupies  the  throne  of  the  Eternal. 

The  extent,  too,  of  his  dominion  is  far  greater  than 
theirs.  They  rule  earthly  kingdoms,  composed  some- 
times of  one  country,  and  sometimes  of  several  coun- 
tries put  together.  "  The  greatest  of  them  have  not 

*  Acts  ii.  36.  t  Acts  v.  31.  \  Rev.  xix.  16. 


THE    MESSIAH.  Ill 

ruled  even  one  entire  continent.  On  the  contrary, 
the  dominion  of  Jesus  is  literally  over  "all  things." 
"God,"  says  an  Apostle,  "has  set  Jesus  at  his  own 
right  hand  in  the  heavenly  places,  far  above  all  prin- 
pality,  and  power,  and  might,  and  dominion,  and 
every  name  that  is  named  not  only  in  this  world,  but 
also  in  that  which  is  to  come,  and  hath  put  all  things 
under  his  feet."  Eph.  i. 

The  kingdom  of  Jesus,  too,  is  far  more  permanent 
than  that  of  earthly  kings.  Earthly  kings  are  mortal, 
and  even  though  they  build  great  pyramids,  as  the 
receptacles  of  their  royal  persons  after  death,  still 
those  very  pyramids  but  proclaim  with  a  louder 
tongue  the  truth  of  their  unabiding  mortality.  The 
pyramid  remains,  the  rock  of  which  it  is  composed 
withstands  the  ravages  of  time,  but  the  body  of  the 
king,  where  is  it?  The  traveller  looks,  and  finds 
where  once  it  was;  but  where  it  is,  he  cannot  augur. 

How  different  is  the  reign  of  Jesus!  "Christ,"  says 
an  Apostle, "  being  raised  from  the  dead,  dieth  no  more ; 
death  hath  no  more  dominion  over  him."  Rom.  vi.  9. 
He  is  emphatically,  "The  King  Immortal."  Earthly 
thrones  may  crumble,  earthly  kings  may  die,  human 
generations  may  waste  away;  yea,  the  solid  earth, 
and  the  firm  heavens  may  depart;  still,  however,  will 
it  be  true  of  Jesus,  that  "his  throne  is  for  ever  and 
ever."  Heb.  i.  8. 

But  we  must  speak  more  particularly  of  the  nature 
of  the  kingdom  of  Jesus. 

This  kingdom  is  a  spiritual  one.  This  feature  of 
it  is  very  much  insisted  on  both  by  Jesns  and  his 
Apostles.  "  My  kingdom,"  said  Jesus  to  Pilate, "is  not 
of  this  world."  John  xviii.  36.  Again,  he  affirms, 
"  The  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you."  Luke  xvii.  21. 
The  Apostle  Paul  also  asserts,  that  "  The  kingdom  of 
God  is  not  meat  and  drink,  but  righteousness  and 
peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost."  Rom.  xiv.  17. 
The  Apostle  Peter,  too,  calls  Jesus  a  "  living  stone," 
and  represents  all  believers  as  "  lively  stones,  built  up 
into  a  spiritual  house,  to  offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices, 
acceptable  to  God."  1  Pet.  ii.  5. 


112  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

By  the  spirituality,  however,  of  the  kingdom  of 
Jesus,  is  not  meant  a  sort  of  mystical  kingdom,  which 
consists  principally  in  contemplation,  which  sets  aside 
the  ordinary  duties  of  life,  and  which  seeks  a  sort  of 
mysterious  absorption  into  the  divine  nature.  The 
doctrines  of  Jesus  are  eminently  practical,  and  they 
are  designed  to  penetrate  and  control  every  part  of 
human  life.  They  regulate  business,  they  direct 
friendship,  they  diffuse  themselves  through  society, 
pervading  all  its  springs,  and  doings,  and  history. 

Nor  is  the  spirituality  of  the  kingdom  of  Jesus 
inconsistent  with  the  external  organization  of  his 
church.  "  God,"  says  an  Apostle,  "  is  not  the  author 
of  confusion,  but  of  peace."  When  we  look  into  the 
kingdom  of  nature,  we  see  universal  arrangement. 
Place,  office,  destiny,  is  assigned  to  every  thing. 
When  we  contemplate  the  pplity  set  up  under  Moses, 
there  is  an  exact  system  almost  universally  observed. 
So,  in  the  Christian  church;  its  spiritual  character 
does  not  exclude  its  visible  organization. 

By  the  spirituality  of  the  kingdom  of  Jesus,  we 
mean  that  it  is  created  by  a  spiritual  agency,  that  it 
consists  of  spiritual  subjects,  that  it  is  governed  by 
spiritual  laws,  and  that  it  awaits  a  spiritual  destiny. 

This  kingdom  is  created  by  a  spiritual  agency. 
"Verily,  verily,"  says  Jesus,  "except  a  man  be  born 
of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  God."  John  iii.  5.  John  also  describes 
the  subjects  of  this  kingdom  as  "  born,  not  of  blood, 
nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but 
of  God."  John  i.  13.  And  the  Apostle  Paul  says  of 
all  true  saints,  that  they  are  God's  "  workmanship, 
created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works."  Eph.ii.  10. 

Men  then  are,  or  are  not,  the  subjects  of  the  king- 
dom of  Jesus,  as  they  are,  or  are  not  created  anew  by 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  their  hearts.  Nei- 
ther birth  nor  baptism,  priest  nor  church,  self-exer- 
tion nor  dependence  upon  others,  can  produce  the 
spiritual  character.  It  comes  of  God,  if  it  comes  at  all ; 
it  is  heaven-sent,  if  ever  enjoyed  on  earth. 

The  subjects  of  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  are  also  spi- 


THE    MESSIAH.  113 

ritual.  Like  begets  like.  And  as  all  the  subjects  of 
the  kingdom  of  Jesus  are  begotten  anew  by  the  Holy- 
Ghost,  so  do  they  resemble  in  their  character  the 
Author  of  their  regeneration.  One  point  of  such  re- 
semblance is  vitality.  Previously  to  this  Divine  ope- 
ration, the  subject  of  it  was  "  dead  in  trespasses  and 
sins."  Upon  its  occurrence  he  becomes  "quickened," 
he  is  made  to  possess  spiritual  life.  Other  points  of 
similarity  refer  to  traits  of  moral  character.  "  The 
fruit  of  the  Spirit,"  says  the  Apostle  Paul,  "  is  love, 
joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith, 
meekness,  temperance."  Gal.  v.  22,  23.  Thus  does 
the  subject  of  "the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost" 
receive  upon  his  own  nature,  in  the  very  act  of  his 
renewal,  the  impress  and  moral  image  of  the  Spirit 
by  which  he  is  quickened.  Hence  such  are  said  to 
"'live  in  the  Spirit,"  to  "walk  in  the  Spirit,"  and  "to 
be  spiritual." 

The  kingdom  of  Jesus  is  also  governed  by  spiritual 
laws.  Natural  laws  refer  to  physical  bodies,  civil 
laws  to  men  in  their  relations  to  human  governments. 
Spiritual  laws  are  those  which  regulate  the  heart  and 
conduct  of  men  toward  God.  Owing  to  the  natural 
depravity  of  men,  such  laws  have  but  little  influence 
over  them,  previously  to  their  renovation  by  Divine 
power.  But  after  that  power  has  been  exerted,  the 
spiritual  subject  is  then  prepared  to  be  put  under  this 
spiritual  administration.  The  laws  of  God  then  have 
force  and  influence  with  him,  and  nothing  delights 
him  more  than  to  obey  them.  This  is  what  is  meant 
by  the  Apostle,  where  he  says,  "  For  the  law  of  the 
Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  hath  made  me  free  (or 
delivered  me)  from  the  law  of  sin  and  death.  For 
what  the  law  conld  not  do,  in  that  it  was  weak 
through  the  flesh,  God,  sending  his  own  Son,  in  the 
likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and  for  sin,  condemned  sin  in 
the  flesh,  that  the  righteousness  of  the  law  might  be 
fulfilled  in  us,  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after 
the  Spirit."  Rom.  viii.  There  is  also  an  allusion  to 
this  spiritual  subjection  to  the  Divine  law  in  the  fol- 
lowing passage,  "  For  this  is  the  covenant  that  I  will 

11 


114  CHRIST  PROVED   TO    BE 

make  with  the  house  of  Israel  after  those  days,  saith 
the  Lord:  I  will  put  my  laws  into  their  mind,  and 
write  them  in  their  hearts,  and  I  will  be  to  them  a 
God,  and  they  shall  be  to  me  a  people."  Heb.  viii.  10. 

The  kingdom  of  Jesus  also  awaits  a  spiritual  des- 
tiny. "  But  we  are  come,"  says  the  Apostle  Paul, 
"unto  Mount  Zion,  and  unto  the  city  of  the  living 
God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  and  to  an  innumerable 
company  of  angels,  'to  the  general  assembly  and 
church  of  the  first-born,  which  are  written  in  heaven, 
and  to  God  the  Judge  of  all,  and  to  the  spirits  of  just 
men  made  perfect,  and  to  Jesus  the  Mediator  of  the 
New  Covenant,  and  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling,  that 
speaketh  better  things  than  that  of  Abel."  Heb.  xii. 
Again,  the  same  Apostle  says,  in  allusion  to  the  resur- 
rection of  the  bodies  of  the  saints,  "  It  is  sown  a  natu- 
ral body,  it  is  raised  a  spiritual  body."  1  Cor.  xv. 

It  is  true,  there  may  be  much  of  materiality  in  the 
heaven  that  awaits  the  saints.  This,  however,  will 
not  prevent  their  ultimate  and  glorious  spiritual  des- 
tination. "  The  spirits  of  just  men  will  then  be  made 
perfect."  Every  citizen  of  the  New  Jerusalem  will 
resemble  Jesus  in  his  glorified  state.  None  will  pos- 
sess "spot  or  wrinkle  or  any  such  thing;"  but  all 
will  be  perfectly  holy,  and  eternally  blessed. 

Such  is  the  nature  of  the  kingdom  of  Jesus,  as  to  its 
internal  and  essential  part.  It  is  pre-eminently  a  spi- 
ritual kingdom.  Hence  it  is  entirely  diverse  from  all 
the  kingdoms  and  organizations  of  men.  It  is  truly 
"a  stone  cut  out  of  the  mountain  without  hands." 
Hence,  too,  its  real  character  and  excellencies  have 
never  been  perceived,  and  cannot  be  perceived  by  the 
men  of  the  world.  The  Jews  did  not  perceive  it  when 
first  set  up  among  them.  Nor  have  the  nations  of  the 
earth  yet  perceived  it,  though  it  has  been  set  up  in 
their  midst  for  eighteen  centuries  past.  It  is  this  char- 
acter of  the  kingdom  of  Jesus,  too,  which  makes  it  so 
odious  to  those  who  can  conceive  of  Christianity  only 
in  its  external  organization  and  forms.  Hence,  "  he 
that  is  born  after  the  flesh,"  now  as  formerly,  perse- 
cutes, and  will  ever  persecute  "him  that  is  born  after 


THE    MESSIAH.  1  1,5 

the  Spirit."  It  is  upon  this  principle  we  are  to  account 
for  the  antipathy  of  the  Jews  against  the  Apostles; 
of  the  ancient  Romans  against  the  early  Christians ; 
and  in  later  times,  of  Romanists  against,  the  Reform- 
ers. It  all  results  from  the  general  truth,  that  the 
carnal  mind  perceiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit. 

We  have  already  said,  that  the  spiritual  character  of 
the  kingdom  of  Jesus  is  not  incompatible  with  a  visi- 
ble and  external  organization.  What  is  this  organi- 
zation, and  how  far  did  it  displace  the  one  previously 
existing?  We  proceed  to  answer  the  latter  question 
first. 

The  Christian  organization,  then,  did  not  destroy  the 
original  covenant  between  God  and  Israel.  This  cove- 
nant was  not  Mosaic,  but  Abrahamic.  It  is  also  uni- 
formly mentioned  in  Scripture  as  an  "everlasting 
covenant."  The  present  dispersion  of  the  Jews,  too, 
does  not  prove  the  non-existence  of  this  covenant; 
for  under  the  circumstances,  the  covenant  itself  re- 
quires such  dispersion  in  fulfilment  of  one  of  its  condi- 
tions. Besides,  the  Jews  are  to  be  gathered  in;  they 
are  to  be  brought  again  into  their  own  land.  "  The 
wastes  of  Canaan  are  again  to  be  builded,  and  that 
desolate  land  to  be  tilled."  Exod.  xxxvi.  How  can 
such  a  restoration  take  place,  unless  the  provisions  of 
"the  everlasting  covenant"  secure  it?  Hence,  the 
apostle  Paul  says:  "Blindness  in  part  (or  for  a  limit- 
ed time)  is  happened  to  Israel,  until  the  fulness  of  the 
Gentiles  be  come  in;  and  so  (or  afterwards)  all  Israel 
shall  be  saved.  As  it  is  written,  There  shall  come  out 
of  £ion  the  Deliverer,  and  shall  turn  away  ungodli- 
ness from  Jacob;  for  this  is  my  covenant  unto  them, 
when  I  shall  take  away  their  sins."   Rom.  xi. 

Nor  did  the  new  organization  abolish  the  rite  of 
circumcision.  This  rite  was  the  seal  of  the  covenant 
made  with  Abraham.  If  then  the  covenant  continue, 
so  must  also  its  seal.  It  is  true,  that  the  Apostles 
would  not  impose  this  rite  upon  believing  Gentiles. 
Acts  xv.  The  reason  of  this,  however,  is  obvious. 
The  covenant  and  circumcision  were  national;  they 
referred  to  the  Israelites  as  a  people.   Inasmuch,  then, 


1}Q  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

as  Christianity  was  not  destined  to  Judaize  the  na- 
tions, not  designed  to  make  Jews  of  them,  it  was  pro- 
per that  peculiarities  belonging  to  the  Jews  as  a  people 
should  not  be  imposed  upon  those  who  were  not  by 
nature  the  descendants  of  Abraham.* 

Nor  was  the  new  system  designed  to  interfere  with 
the  civil  or  national  laws  of  the  Jews.  Being  a 
spiritual  system,  Christianity  did  not  directly  oppose 
any  existing  forms  of  political  government.  It  might 
modify  all,  but  it  could  exist  under  any. 

Much  less  did  Christianity  subvert  the  moral  part  of 
the  previous  dispensation.  Its  position  on  this  point 
is,  "  Till  heaven  and  earth  pass,  one  jot  or  tittle  shall 
not  fail  from  the  law."  All  the  morality  then  of  the 
Old  Testament  still  abides,  and  receives  additional 
sanctions  from  the  New. 

What  changes  then,  were  effected  by  the  Messianic 
kingdom?  These  four — the  temple,  the  priesthood, 
and   the  ceremonial   law   were   abolished,  and  the 

*  The  opinion  seems  generally  to  prevail,  that  circumcision  as  a 
Jewish  seal  was  abolished  by  Christ.  Besides,  however,  the  spiritual 
blessings  embraced  in  the  Abrahamic  covenant  for  the  world  at  large, 
were  there  not  certain  peculiar  blessings  designed  for  the  Israelites  as 
a  people?  Certainly,  all  those  who  consider  them  at  present  as  in  any 
sense  God's  peculiar  people,  must  so  understand  this  covenant.  Why 
are  they  still  a  distinct  people?  Why  are  they  to  be  converted  as  a 
nation?  How  is  it,  that  so  many  believe  in  their  literal  restoration 
to  Canaan?  All  these  views  seem  to  rest  upon  some  Jewish  peculiar- 
ity in  the  Abrahamic  covenant.  And  if  such  a  feature  still  exist  in 
that  covenant,  why  is  not  circumcision  still  a  seal  to  Israel  ? 

The  author  was  apprehensive  that  he  would  be  almost  alone  in  his 
opinion.  Upon  examination,  however,  he  finds  himself  sustained  by 
several  judicious  and  eminent  critics.  Grotius  and  Michaelis,  as 
quoted  by  Bloomfield,  use  the  following  language :  "  The  Jews  (i.  e.  in 
the  days  of  the  Apostles)  might  adopt  circumcision  as  a  national  rite; 
but  the  Gentiles  having  no  such  political  reason,  could  only  use  it  as 
necessary  tojustification ;  which  would  make  void  faith  and  grace,  and 
is  therefore  strictly  forbidden:"  (on  Gal.  v.  2.)  Macknight,  on  the 
same  passage,  says:  "As  the  preservation  (i.  e.  after  Christ)  of  Abra- 
ham's posterity  as  a  distinct  people  from  the  rest  of  mankind  answer- 
ed many  important  purposes  in  the  Divine  government,  their  obser- 
vance of  the  rite  of  circumcision,  declared  by  God  himself  to  be  the 
seal  of  his  covenant  with  Abraham,  was  necessary  to  mark  them  as 
his  descendants,  as  long  as  it  was  determined  that  they  should  be  con- 
tinued a  distinct  people."  Dr.  Doddridge  also  expresses  a  similar 
sentiment. 


THE    MESSIAH.  117 

blessings  of  salvation  were  extended  to  the  rest  of  the 
world. 

Said  Jesus  to  the  woman  of  Sychar — "  The  hour 
cometh,  when  ye  shall  neither  in  this  mountain,  nor 
yet  at  Jerusalem,  worship  the  Father."  John  iv.  21. 
He  also  said  of  the  temple  itself,  *  There  shall  not  be 
left  here  one  stone  upon  another,  that  shall  not  be 
thrown  down."  Matt.  xxiv.  2.  When  the  body  of 
Jesus,  of  which  the  temple  was  a  type,  was  "  des- 
troyed," the  purposes  of  the  temple  were  answered, 
and  a  new  one  was  to  be  raised  without  hands. 

But  not  only  was  the  temple  abolished,  the  Jewish 
priesthood  shared  the  same  fate.  This  priesthood  was 
typical  of  that  of  the  Messiah.  When,  therefore,  the 
latter  began,  the  former  ended.  Hence,  at  the  death 
of  Jesus,  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  twain  from 
the  top  to  the  bottom.  This  was  significant,  not  only 
of  the  abolition  of  the  types  and  shadows,  but  of  the 
appointment  of  a  new  High  Priest.  Hence  the  Apos- 
tle Paul  says,  "  But  Christ  being  come,  a  High  Priest 
of  good  things  to  come,  by  a  greater  and  more  perfect 
tabernacle,  not  made  with  hands,  neither  by  the  blood 
of  goats  and  calves,  but  by  his  own  blood,  he  entered 
in  once  into  the  holy  place,  having  obtained  eternal 
redemption  for  us."  Heb.  ix.  11,  13.  Again,  the 
Apostle  says  expressly,  that  the  Aaronic  "priesthood 
was  changed,"  (vii.  12.,)  from  the  sons  of  Levi  to 
Christ. 

If  then,  the  temple  be  abolished  and  the  priesthood, 
of  course,  the  ceremonial  law  departs  with  them.  This 
is  the  reasoning  of  the  Apostle.  "  For  the  priesthood 
being  changed,  there  is  made  of  necessity  a  change  of 
the  law;"  that  is,  of  the  ceremonial  law.  Indeed,  the 
entire  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  exhibits  in  the  clearest 
manner,  that  the  temple,  priesthood  and  sacrifices  of 
the  ancient  dispensation  were  all  abolished  by  the  new 
system.  We  there  learn,  that  the  Christian  Jerusalem  is 
a  heavenly  one ;  that  his  temple  is  above,  that  his  High 
Priest  is  Christ,  that  the  shedding  of  his  blood  is  the 
only  sacrifice  for  sin ;  and  that  the  ancient  Jewish  cere- 
monies are  now  a  mere  nullity,  except  as  they  may  be 
11* 


118  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

used  to  illustrate  the  "good  things"  of  the  new  dis- 
pensation. 

The  other  change  effected  by  Christianity,  and 
which  the  Apostle  Paul  considers  a  "great  mystery ," 
was,  the  extension  of  the  blessings  of  salvation  to  the 
world  at  large.  No  language  can  better  describe 
this  than  that  of  the  Apostle  himself — "  For  he  is  our 
peace,  who  hath  made  both  one;  and  hath  broken 
down  the  middle  wall  of  partition  between  us;  having 
abolished  in  his  flesh  the  enmity,  even  the  law  of 
commandments,  contained  in  ordinances,  for  to  make 
in  himself,  of  twain,  one  new  man,  so  making  peace; 
and  that  he  might  reconcile  both  unto  God,  in  one 
body  by  the  cross,  having  slain  the  enmity  thereby; 
and  came  and  preached  peace  to  you  which  were  afar 
off,  and  to  them  that  were  nigh.  For  through  him  we 
both  have  an  access  by  one  Spirit  unto  the  Father." 
Eph.  ii.  14—18. 

Such  were  the  effects  of  the  new  system  upon  that 
which  pre-existed.  It  abolished  its  temple,  priesthood, 
and  ritual,  as  of  no  longer  use;  it  also  so  extended 
the  blessings  of  salvation,  as  to  embrace  the  world  in 
general,  according  to  the  promise  given  to  Abraham, 
that  "in  his  seed  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  should 
be  blessed." 

We  now  proceed  to  the  other  inquiry,  What  is  the 
organization  of  the  new  system,  as  a  distinct  estab- 
lishment from  that  which  preceded  it? 

This  question,  we  are  aware,  is  thickly  set  with 
difficulties,  and  is  also  associated  in  the  minds  of  most 
men,  with  more  or  less  of  prejudice.  It  is  not  intend- 
ed, however,  to  go  into  details,  or  to  advocate  any 
particular  system. 

The  organization  of  the  Christian  Church  may  be 
divided  into  three  periods — that  of  Jesus  himself, 
that  of  the  Apostles,  and  that  which  has  taken  place 
since.  The  part  accomplished  by  Jesus  in  person, 
consists  of  the  four  following  particulars — the  commu- 
nication of  its  moral  truths,  the  delineation  of  its 
moral  character,  the  appointment  of  its  teachers,  and 
the  institution  of  its  ordinances. 


THE    MESSIAH.  119 

The  doctrines,  or  moral  truths  of  the  new  system, 
were  placed  by  the  Founder  of  Christianity,  as  the 
basis  of  the  new  establishment.  These  were  the  rock 
on  which  the  Church  was  to  be  built,  secure  from  all 
the  devices  of  the  gates  of  hell. 

These  truths  were  to  be  employed  by  the  agency  of 
the  Spirit,  both  in  the  production  and  sustentation  of 
the  Church;  eternal  life  was  placed  in  the  proper 
knowledge  of  God  and  of  his  Son,  and  the  truth  was 
ordained  as  the  means  of  sanctification. 

The  truth,  being  thus  essential  both  to  the  existence 
and  development  of  the  new  system — being  its  heart, 
or  vital  part,  was  made  by  Jesus  the  great  idea  in 
Christianity.  His  disciples  were  to  illustrate  this  truth 
in  their  lives;  it  was  the  message  which  his  ambassa- 
dors were  to  publish;  the  ordinances  appointed  by  him 
were  to  cherish  it;  and,  in  its  rejection,  there  could  be 
neither  discipleship  nor  salvation. 

Hence,  Jesus  spent  his  life,  not  in  organizing  a  sys- 
tem, but  in  publishing  the  truth.  "  To  this  end,"  says 
he,  "  was  I  born,  and  for  this  cause  came  I  into  the 
world,  that  I  should  bear  witness  unto  the  truth." 
John  xviii.  37.  Again  he  exclaims,  "  I  am  come  a 
light  into  the  world,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  me 
should  not  abide  in  darkness."  John  xii.  46.  Upon 
the  reception,  or  rejection  of  this  truth,  too,  has  he 
suspended  the  eternal  destiny  of  all  to  whom  his  gos- 
pel should  be  made  known — "Go  ye  into  all  the  world 
and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature ;  he  that 
believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved,  but  he  that 
believeth  not  shall  be  damned."  Mark  xvi. 

The  fundamental  idea  then,  in  the  organization  of 
the  Christian  Church  is,  the  moral  truths  of  the  gos- 
pel. The  Church  is  where  these  are;  it  is  not,  where 
these  are  excluded. 

The  second  step  in  the  organization  of  the  Church 
was,  the  distinct  delineation  of  the  character  of  its 
members. 

Jews  were  made  by  birth,  or  by  circumcision;  not 
so  Christians.  Men  could  become  real  subjects  of  the 
kingdom  of  Jesus,  only  by  the  cordial  reception  of  its 


120  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

moral  truths  in  their  spiritual  renovation.  The  prepa- 
ration of  the  soil,  and  the  implantation  of  the  seed, 
were  alike  a  divine  work.  Hence  the  importance  of 
describing  those  in  whom  this  change  was  wrought, 
and  by  whom  this  truth  had  been  received.  These 
were  not  simply  Israelites,  or  hearers,  or  professors, 
or  preachers,  or  apostles ;  they  were  "  the  poor  in  spi- 
rit," "  the  meek,"  "  those  that  hunger  and  thirst  after 
righteousness,"  "  the  merciful,"  "  the  pure  in  heart," 
"  the  peacemakers,"  "  the  persecuted  for  righteous- 
ness' sake."  Matt.  v.  The  cordial  reception  of  the 
moral  truths  taught  by  Jesus,  produced  traits  of  cha- 
racter like  these;  the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  his  holy  guidance,  led  to  a  life  like  this.  Hence, 
they  and  they  only  are  the  subjects  of  the  new  king- 
dom, who  thus  exemplify  the  gospel,  and  thus  exhi- 
bit before  men  its  great  cardinal  virtues. 

This  is  the  second  step  of  Jesus  in  organizing  his 
Church.  He  first  delivers  its  doctrines — he  next  de- 
scribes its  members. 

The  third  step  was,  the  consecration  and  mission  of 
men  who  should  publish  these  great  moral  truths,  and 
thus  disciple  others,  to  whom  the  teachings  of  Jesus 
himself  did  not  extend. 

Men  were  to  be  made  converts  after  Jesus  left  the 
world,  just  as  they  had  been  previously.  It  was  his 
preaching,  accompanied  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  which 
had  converted  them  during  his  life.  It  was  by  preach- 
ing, accompanied  by  the  same  power,  that  they  were 
to  be  converted  after  his  departure  from  the  world. 
Hence  the  necessity  for  preachers,  and  for  the  con- 
tinuance of  preachers,  as  long  as  men  were  to  be 
converted  to  God.  This  necessity  led  to  the  great 
commission  given  to  the  eleven,  "  Go  ye  into  all  the 
world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature." 

The  last  part  of  the  work  of  Jesus  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  his  Church,  was  the  appointment  of  the  ordi- 
nances of  Baptism  and  the  Supper.  The  former  was 
designed  to  indicate  publicly  his  disciples — the  latter, 
to  keep  ever  before  the  minds  of  these  disciples,  the 
one  great  truth  of  the  new  system,  the  vicarious  suf- 


THE    MESSIAH.  121 

ferings  of  Jesus  for  his  people.  The  one  was  to 
express,  that  the  moral  truths  of  the  system  had  been 
embraced;  the  other  was  to  strengthen  and  invigo- 
rate the  faith  of  disciples  in  those  truths.  The  one 
was  to  separate  Christians  from  the  world;  the  other 
was  to  bind  all  Christians  together,  by  uniting  them 
more  closely  to  their  common  Head. 

Such  was  the  organization  of  the  Christian  Church, 
as  left  by  Jesus  himself.  There  was  no  general  and 
systematic  organization  of  the  Church  as  a  whole ; 
nor  was  there  the  regular  constitution  of  one  indi- 
vidual congregation.  Its  great  foundations  were  laid; 
the  sort  of  materials  to  be  placed  on  these  foundations 
were  described;  the  master-builders  were  appointed, 
and  its  simple,  but  significant  ceremonies,  were  insti- 
tuted. 

Jesus  left,  then,  but  two  classes  of  persons  in  his 
Church — teachers  and  disciples;  baptizers  and  the 
baptized — administrators  and  communicants — or,  in 
other  words,  the  preachers  and  the  receivers  of  the 
word.  The  preachers  were  all  on  a  perfect  official 
equality;  the  disciples  were  so  likewise.  The  former 
had  been  called  and  commissioned  by  the  same  Master, 
and  they  were  to  accomplish  the  same  work;  the  latter 
had  been  converted  by  the  same  grace,  and  baptized 
with  the  same  baptism.  The  one  class  were  minis- 
terial, the  other  Christian  brethren.  Nor  was  the 
officer  to  exalt  himself  above  the  member;  but  he 
was  to  be  greatest  in  the  estimation  of  his  Master,  who 
had  a  spirit  to  be  accounted  least,  and  servant  of  all. 

How  far  the  Apostles  modified  these  great  essential 
principles  of  the  Christian  Church,  it  now  remains  to 
inquire. 

The  Apostolic  Church  was  first  organized  in  the 
city  of  Jerusalem.  It  was  not,  however,  done  at 
once.  For  a  considerable  time,  no  officers  but  the 
Apostles  were  known.  These  and  the  membership 
composed  the  Church.  Hence,  when  a  new  Apostle 
was  to  be  chosen,  the  election  was  made  by  the  dis- 
ciples,* under  the  management  of  the  eleven  Apostles. 

*  Barrow,  327. 


122  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

Acts  i.  Nor  was  there  any  ordination,  but  a  simple 
enrolment,  after  the  lot  was  cast,  of  the  name  of 
Matthias  with  the  other  Apostles.  Even  the  tempo- 
ralities of  the  new  society  were  under  the  care  of  the 
Apostles.  Acts  iv.  35 ;  v.  2  ;  vi.  2.  When,  however, 
these  temporalities  became  too  burdensome,  they  were 
committed  to  a  set  of  men  chosen  by  the  disciples  for 
that  purpose,  and  who,  through  prayer  and  imposition 
of  hands,  were  ordained  to  the  new  office  by  the 
Apostles.  Acts  vi.  The  church  now  consisted  of 
three  classes  of  persons — apostles,  deacons,  and  the 
membership.  This  membership,  though  very  large, 
was  still  not  as  yet  divided  into  separate  societies ; 
but  constituted  one  united  body  now  called  the 
Church.  Acts  ii.  47;  v.  11 ;  viii.  1.  About  this  lime 
a  great  persecution  arose.  Stephen,  one  of  the  deacons, 
was  stoned,  and  the  members,  with  the  exception  of 
the  Apostles,  were  driven  into  other  countries  and 
cities.  This  persecution,  however,  served  greatly  to 
enlarge  the  Church — for  "they  that  were  scattered 
abroad,  went  every  where  preaching  the  word."  Not 
that  they  were  all  regular  preachers ;  but  they  pub- 
lished the  gospel  in  every  practicable  and  prudent 
method. 

About  this  time  a  new  set  of  officers  was  intro- 
duced into  the  Christian  society.  These  were  Elders. 
The  name  implies  ruling;  especially  among  the  Jews, 
where  it  was  applied  both  to  the  general  rulers  of  the 
nation,  and  to  the  particular  rulers  of  each  synagogue 
or  religious  assembly.  We  must  suppose,  therefore, 
that  either  the  office  in  the  synagogue  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  new  church  ;  or,  that  an  analogous  office 
was  instituted  in  the  new  society.  The  first  mention 
of  these  new  officers  is  made  in  Acts  xi.  30,  where  the 
Christians  of  Antioch  are  said  to  have  transmitted  to 
"the  elders"  in  Jerusalem,  certain  funds  to  supply  the 
necessities  of  the  poor  saints  there,  and  who  seem  not 
to  have  left  the  city  with  their  wealthier  brethren 
during  the  persecution.  The  next  allusion  to  this 
office,  not  only  refers  to  it  as  an  office  well  under- 
stood, but  also  casts  light  upon  the  manner  of  its  crea- 


THE    MESSIAH.  123 

tion — "  And  when  they  had  ordained  them  elders  in 
every  church,  and  had  prayed  with  fasting,  they  com- 
mended them  to  the  Lord  on  whom  they  believed." 
Acts  xix.  23.  The  word  (a«/»Towflwr«c)  which  is  here 
translated  "ordained,"  is  used  but  in  one  other  in- 
stance in  the  New  Testament.  In  2  Cor.  viii.  19,  it 
is  applied  to  Luke's  being  "chosen  of  the  churches" 
to  travel  with  Paul  and  others.  It  means  literally  to 
lift  up,  or  extend  the  hand;  which  was  an  ordinary 
mode  of  taking  a  vote.  Hence  the  Genevan  version, 
Tyndal  and  Cranmer,  all  render  the  passage  thus: 
"  And  when  they  had  ordained  them  elders  by  elec- 
tion."* As,  too,  the  deacons  had  been  chosen  by  the 
members  ;  and  as  these  elders  were  put  into  this 
office  from  among  the  brethren  over  whom  they  pre- 
sided, there  can  be  no  doubt,  that  they  were  elected 
by  the  popular  vote.  The  conclusion  then  to  which 
we  come  is,  that  these  primitive  elders  were  grave 
and  judicious  men,  elected  by  each  Christian  congre- 
gation from  among  their  own  number,  to  superintend 
their  spiritual  interests,  and  to  preside  in  their  reli- 
gious assemblies;  and  that  they  were  solemnly  con- 
secrated to  that  office  by  prayer  and  fasting. 

Whether  these  elders  were  really  preachers,  or 
simply  rulers  in  particular  congregations,  has  been 
much  debated.  The  objections  to  their  being  strictly 
preachers  are  such  as  these.  They  were  elected  by 
their  brethren,  and  from  among  themselves,  as  their 
spiritual  guides.  Now,  it  seems  incredible,  that  an 
election  of  the  brethren  should  make  a  preacher. 
Nor  can  we  conceive,  how  the  new  churches  planted 
by  the  Apostles  could  have  had  men,  fitted  at  so 
early  a  date,  to  be  preachers  of  the  word.  The 
locality  too  of  these  officers  is  an  objection.  Reg- 
ular preachers  were  to  "  go  into  all  the  world  and 

*  See  Mezeray,  Abrege  de  l'Histoire  de  France,  (Vol.  i.  p.  41,  A.D. 
400,  to  A.  D.  500,)  who  expounds  the  words  vox  populi  vox  Dei  to 
signify  the  election  of  bishops  by  the  people.  After  alleging  that 
bishops,  during  this  period,  were  elected  by  the  people,  he  adds, "  La 
voix  du  peuple  passoit  en  cela,  pour  une  vocation  de  Dieu." — [Ed. 
Fresh.  Bd.  of  Fab. 


124  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature."  Their  corn- 
mission  was  general,  their  mission  was  to  the  world 
at  large.  These  primitive  elders,  however,  seem  to 
have  been  entirely  local.  We  find  no  instance  of 
their  exercising  their  gifts  or  office,  beyond  the 
churches  over  which  they  presided.  The  name  too, 
is  an  objection.  Why  are  they  called  elders?  The 
term  evangelist  means  a  gospelizer,  or  one  who 
preaches  the  gospel.  The  term  prophet  refers  to 
speaking.  The  term  elder,  then,  can  awaken  no 
other  idea,  than  that  of  ruling,  or  of  one,  who  mana- 
ges the  affairs  of  a  Christian  congregation. 

On  the  contrary,  there  are  some  things  to  favour 
the  position,  that  these  elders  were  preachers.  Who 
were  to  instruct  these  new  churches,  if  they  were 
not?  The  Apostle  Paul  also  exhorts  those  of  Ephesus. 
"To  feed  the  church  of  God,"  Acts  xx.  28;  which 
seems  to  refer  to  the  preaching  of  the  word.  The 
same  Apostle  also  says  that  Elders  must  be  "apt  to 
teach,"  1  Tim.  iii.  2;  and  that  they  should  be  able 
"by  sound  doctrine  both  to  exhort  and  to  convince 
the  gainsayers."  Tit.  i.  9. 

The  conclusion  then,  to  which  we  come  in  relation 
to  these  officers  is,  that  their  original  designation  was 
that  of  exercising  spiritual  supervision,  and  authority 
in  individual  congregations;  that  to  render  them  com- 
petent to  such  supervision,  they  needed  themselves 
to  be  well  instructed  in  the  Christian  doctrine,  and 
that  when  no  apostle,  evangelist,  prophet,  or  regular 
teacher,  was  present,  it  was  their  duty  to  instruct 
their  several  congregations.  "Certainly,"  says  the 
learned  Neander,  "it  is  not  capable  of  proof- that  the 
teachers  always  belonged  to  the  presbyters.  This 
much  only  is  certain,  it  was  a  source  of  great  satis- 
faction, when  among  the  rulers  of  the  church  there 
were  men  qualified  also  for  teachers."* 

Besides  elders  and  deacons,  whose  offices  confined 
them  to  individual  churches,  there  were  many  others 
associated  with  the  Apostles  in  their  labours.   Barna- 

*  Hist.  Christian  Religion  and  Church. 


THE    MESSIAH.  125 

bas,  Silas,  Luke,  Philip,  Mark,  Timothy,  Titus,  Apol- 
los,  and  many  others  were  of  this  number.  These  all 
appear  to  have  been  regular  preachers  of  the  word. 
It  is  true,  nothing  is  said  of  the  ordination  of  any  of 
them  except  Timothy,  and  of  Barnabas  when  ap- 
pointed missionary  to  the  Gentiles.  How  they  were 
inducted  into  office,  or  whether  any  regular  mode  was 
used,  we  know  not. 

That  there  was  no  regular  general  government  of 
the  church  instituted  by  the  Apostles,  is  evident  from 
the  history  of  the  facts  left  us.  The  only  case  which 
has  the  appearance  of  such  a  general  government  is, 
the  reference  of  a  particular  question,  by  the  church 
at  Antioch,  to  the  church  at  Jerusalem.  Acts  xv.  This 
reference  however  was  altogether  voluntary,  on  the 
part  of  the  church  at  Antioch;  and  it  was  decided  at 
Jerusalem,  not  by  an  Apostle,  or  by  a  council  of 
Apostles;  but  by  the  Apostles,  Eiders  and  "whole 
church."  Acts  xv.  22. 

Such  was  the  Apostolic  Church.  The  disciples, 
who  had  previously  existed  in  common,  were  by  them 
distributed  into  separate  congregations;  and  two  new 
sets  of  officers  were  appointed,  deacons  and  elders. 
The  bond  which  held  all  their  separate  churches  toge- 
ther was  not  authority  or  system,  but  the  truth  and  mu- 
tual love.  Never  were  churches  more  closely  united, 
and  yet  never  were  churches  less  forced  into  union. 

If  it  be  asked,  what  was  the  umpire  in  cases  of  doc- 
trinal or  other  controversies,  the  answer  is,  the  ivord 
of  God.  This  word,  otherwise  that  it  was  recorded 
in  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures,  was  at  first  delivered 
by  inspired  men.  As  these  inspired  men  were  mortal, 
their  instructions  were  committed  to  writing,  and  in 
that  form  were  always  afterwards  to  control  the 
churches. 

If  it  be  still  asked,  who  was  to  decide  in  controver- 
sies which  should  arise  as  to  the  meaning  of  these 
apostolical  writings,  the  answer  is,  every  church  for 
itself,  every  teacher  for  himself,  every  man  for  him- 
self. To  place  uninspired  authority  over  inspired, 
and  to  require  one  church,  preacher,  or  disciple,  to 

12 


126  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

yield  absolutely  to  the  decision  of  some  other  church, 
preacher,  or  disciple,  is  at  once  to  overthrow  the  au- 
thority of  God  by  establishing  that  of  man;  and  to 
subvert  the  decision  of  one  man  or  set  of  men,  by  the 
decision  of  some  other  men  or  set  of  men. 

Nor  is  there  the  least  shadow  of  proof  that  any  such 
human  umpire  was  either  appointed  by  Jesns,  or 
sanctioned  by  his  Apostles.  It  is  true,  that  in  forming 
opinions  about  controverted  points,  some  deference 
was  due  to  those  men  who  had  the  best  opportunities 
for  knowing  what  was  true;  or  to  those  churches  that 
had  been  most  under  apostolical  teaching,  or  which 
had  best  preserved  apostolic  practices.  All  this,  how- 
ever, was  but  secondary  and  auxiliary;  and  in  all 
matters  of  faith  and  practice,  the  apostolic  writings, 
and  these  alone,  were  to  govern.  Not  man,  but  God, 
was  to  be  the  only  "Lord  of  conscience.5' 

We  come  now  to  the  third  and  last  part  of  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Church.  This  has  occurred  since 
the  days  of  the  apostles;  is  merely  human,  and  there- 
fore exceedingly  imperfect.* 

*  At  the  close  of  the  first  six  centuries,  the  change,  though  great 
in  some  particulars,  was  small  compared  with  that  which  followed. 
See  Fleury's  Second  Discourse  on  Ecclesiastical  History,  Art.  V. 
"  The  bishops,"  he  says,  "  did  not  give  great  attention  to  the  temporel 
of  their  church,  but  left  the  care  of  it  to  deacons  and  stewards,  but 
they  did  not  discharge  themselves  of  the  spirituel  upon  any  body. 
Their  occupation  was  prayer,  instruction,  and  correction.  They  en- 
tered  into  every  possible  detail,  and  it  was  for  this  reason  that  the  dio- 
ceses were  so  small,  that  one  single  man  might  suffice  for  them,  and 
by  himself  know  the  whole  of  his  flock.  There  would  be  no  need  for 
more  than  one  bishop,  to  do  every  thing  by  another  and  from  a  dis- 
tance. It  is  true,  they  had  priests  to  relieve  them  in  the  spirituel,  to 
preside  at  prayers,  and  to  celebrate  the  holy  sacrifice  in  case  of  the 
absence  or  sickness  of  the  bishop,  to  baptize  or  give  penance  in  case 
of  necessity.  Sometimes  the  bishop  even  confided  to  them  the  minis- 
try of  the  word;  for  regularly  there  was  only  the  bishop  who  preach- 
ed. The  priests,  were  his  council  and  the  senate  of  the  church,  eleva- 
ted to  this  rank  for  their  ecclesiastical  knowledge,  their  wisdom,  their 
experience." 

Abating  some  of  this  author's  ecclesiastical  technicalities,  (such  as 
holy  sacrifice,  penance,  &c)  we  may  see  more  of  the  Presbyterian  than 
of  the  Papal  organization  in  these  churches.  Such  small  dioceses  re- 
mind one  of  parishes;  such  minute  primeval  oversight  of  the  flock, 
strongly  resembles  the  duties  of  a  parish  clergyman.     Priests  who  do 


THE    MESSIAH.  127 

That  the  state  of  things  left  by  the  Apostles,  con- 
tinued for  a  considerable  time,  is  evident  from  the 
Epistle  of  Clement  to  the  Corinthians.  In  that  epistle 
there  is  not  the  least  intimation  given,  that  Rome  had 
any  authority  over  Corinth.  It  also  distinctly  states, 
that  Presbyters  or  Elders  were  chosen  by  the  peo- 
ple, and  that  the  subjection  of  the  people  to  them  was 
voluntary,  not  forced.  "Wherefore  we  cannot  think 
that  those  may  be  justly  thrown  out  of  their  ministry, 
who  were  either  appointed  by  the  Apostles,  or  after- 
wards chosen  by  other  eminent  men,  with  the  consent 
of  the  whole  church."  Again,  says  Clement,  "  It  is 
a  shame,  my  beloved,  yea,  a  very  great  shame,  and 
unworthy  your  Christian  profession,  to  hear  that  the 
most  firm  and  ancient  Church  of  the  Corinthians 
should,  by  one  or  two  persons,  be  led  into  a  sedition 
against  its  Presbyters." 

The  changes  which  were  afterwards  introduced  into 
the  apostolic  organization  of  the  Church  are  principal- 
ly these  three:  The  presbyterial  feature  was  over- 
shadowed by  the  episcopal,  the  episcopal  by  the  pa- 
triarchal, and  the  patriarchal  by  the  papal.  The  spirit 
of  domination  began  with  the  rulers  of  each  particular 
church,  and  ceased  only,  when  every  church,  yea,  the 
whole  world,  was  subject  to  one  man!*  Authority 
was  thus  substituted  for  truth,  and  the  will  of  man 
for  .the  will  of  God !  These  changes,  it  is  true,  were 
effected  only  gradually,  and  through  many  centuries; 
still,  however,  they  were  effected,  and  became  alike 
destructive   to   the   purity  and   the   freedom  of  the 

not  preach,  but  serve  as  a  council  for  the  bishop,  are  not  very  unlike 
the  eldership  of  Presbyterian  churches.  And  the  practice  of  confin- 
ing the  duty  of  preaching- to  bishops  exclusively,  would  tend  to  multi- 
ply them  so  that  each  congregation  might  have  one. — [Ed.  of  Presb. 
Bd.  of  Pub. 

*  Mezeray,  speaking  of  the  Church  in  France,  under  the  reign  of 
Clovis,  says,  "The  titles,  Pope,  Father  of  the  Church,  Beatitude,  Most 
Blessed,  Holiness,  Sovereign  Pontiff,  Servant  of  the  Servants  of  God, 
Apostolical,  were  common  to  all  bishops."  Abrege  Chronologique  de 
l'Histoire  de  France,  Vol.  i.  p.  41.  A.  D.  400  to  A.  D.  500.  The  ap- 
propriation of  these  titles  to  the  bishop  of  Rome  exclusively,  was  the 
fruit  of  the  ambition  of  the  bishops  of  that  city,  which  appeared  at  a 
later  age.— [Ed.  Presb.  Board  of  Pub. 


128  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

Church.  And  it  is  remarkable  in  this  extraordinary 
drama,  that  one  man,  the  Pope,  has  been  made  to 
hold  a  place  of  power,  such  as  no  one  of  the  Apostles, 
nor  all  of  them  together  ever  held;  indeed,  such  as 
Jesus  himself  never  exercised  while  here  on  earth! 

The  diversities  which  now  exist  among  various 
Protestant  sects,  on  the  subject  of  church  government, 
may  be  traced  to  the  prominence  which  they  respec- 
tively give  to  certain  parts  of  the  original  organization. 
It  is  likely  that  no  one  of  them,  in  all  particulars, 
agrees  with  the  apostolic  model.  Some  of  them  by 
giving  great  prominence  to  the  independence  of  the 
churches  in  the  days  of  the  Apostles,  have  gone  into 
pure  Congregationalism.  Others  by  magnifying  the 
prerogatives  of  the  church  rulexs  and  teachers  have 
approached  an  ecclesiastical  hierarchy.  Others,  again, 
in  consideration  of  the  plurality  of  elders  in  each 
church,  and  of  their  being  elected  by  their  brethren, 
have  adopted  the  presbyterial  system.  Doubtless, 
there  are  some  things  in  which  all  these  are  right,  and 
there  are  also  some  things  in  which  they  have  all  de- 
parted from  apostolic  practice. 

These  churches,  however,  may  all  sufficiently 
adhere  to  the  original  constitution,  to  render  them 
brethren  in  the  kingdom  of  one  common  Lord  and 
Saviour.  Do  they  attach  the  chief  importance  to  the 
moral  truths  of  the  new  system?  Do  they  place  dis- 
cipleship  in  the  cordial  reception,  and  the  proper  mani- 
festation of  those  truths  ?  Do  they  receive  and  maintain 
a  set  of  preachers  and  teachers  under  the  sanction  and 
upon  the  authority  of  Jesus?  Do  they  administer  the 
Christian  sacraments?  Are  the  writings  of  the  Apostles 
their  only  umpire  in  all  matters  of  faith  and  practice? 
Do  they  allow  to  each  other  the  rights  of  conscience 
and  of  personal  judgment?  If  so,  they  all  rest  upon 
the  foundation  laid  by  Jesus  for  his  Church.  If  so, 
they  are  all  sufficiently  apostolic,  to  live  together  in 
peace  on  earth,  and  to  reign  together  in  glory  here- 
after. 

We  have  dwelt  the  longer  upon  the  kingdom  of 
Jesus,  because  it  is  a  matter  of  deep  interest  to  Chris- 


THE    MESSIAH.  129 

tians.  Let  ns  then  apply  this  argument  to  his  Mes- 
siahship.  According  to  ancient  prophecy,  the  Mes- 
siah was  to  be  a  king,  indeed  he  was  to  be  the  greatest 
of  kings.  But  we  have  seen,  that  these  predictions 
have  all  been  fulfilled  in  Jesus.  By  all  who  receive 
his  doctrines,  he  is  considered  as  possessed  of  the  very 
highest  possible  royalty.  Though  crucified,  he  yet 
lives,  and  though  assigned  to  the  greatest  ignominy 
once,  yet  does  he  now  sit  upon  a  throne  "  high  and 
lifted  up."  The  crown  of  power  is  on  his  head,  the 
sceptre  of  dominion  in  his  hand,  and  his  name  is 
"  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords."' 


12 


130  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 


HAPTER  XIII. 


THE   RESURRECTION   OF   JESUS. 


There  are  three  sources  of  evidence  to  the  Messiah- 
ship  of  Jesus,  derived  from  his  resurrection.  It  fulfils 
several  ancient  prophecies  concerning  the  Messiah,  it 
confirms  the  testimony  given  by  Jesus  to  his  own 
Messiahship,  and  it  proves  that  he  has  power  to  exer- 
cise all  the  prerogatives  of  the  Messiah. 

In  the  16th  Psalm,  are  the  following  expressions 
concerning  the  future  Deliverer.  "  My  flesh  shall 
also  rest  in  hope.  For  thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul 
in  hell,  neither  wilt  thou  suffer  thy  Holy  One  to  see 
corruption.  Thou  wilt  show  me  the  path  of  life :  in 
thy  presence  is  fulness  of  joy;  at  thy  right  hand  are 
pleasures  for  evermore."  This  psalm  evidently  refers 
to  the  Messiah.  Hengstenberg  says  of  it,  "  We  must 
nevertheless  assert,  that  every  impartial  critic  must 
regard  the  Messianic  interpretation  of  verses  9 — 11, 
as  the  easiest  and  most  natural,  and  that  it  would  be 
universally  adopted,  were  it  not  for  the  influence  of 
doctrinal  views.''*  If,  then,  these  verses  of  the  psalm 
be  applicable  to  the  Messiah,  they  embrace  his  resur- 
rection from  the  grave,  and  his  exaltation  to  the  right 
hand  of  God  in  the  heavens. 

The  same  truth  is  taught  in  the  22d  Psalm.  After 
a  most  vivid  description  of  the  cruel  sufferings  of  the 
Messiah,  the  writer  represents  him  as  being  remark- 
ably delivered,  by  special  Divine  assistance.  "  Thou 
hast  heard  me  from  the  horns  of  the  unicorns.  I  will 
declare  thy  name  unto  my  brethren.  My  praise  shall 
be  of  thee  in  the  great  congregation.  All  the  ends  of 
the  earth  shall  remember  and  turn  unto  the  Lord, 

*  Christology,  vol.  i.  p.  123. 


THE    MESSIAH.  131 

and  all  the  kindreds  of  the  nations  shall  worship  before 
thee.  For  the  kingdom  is  the  Lord's,  and  he  is  the 
Governor  among  the  nations.  A  seed  shall  serve 
him;  it  shall  be  accounted  to  the  Lord  for  a  genera- 
tion. "  Here,  the  same  person,  who,  in  the  previous 
part  of  the  sacred  poem,  is  described  as  enduring  the 
most  dreadful  agonies,  is  exhibited  as  rising  above  his 
sorrows;  as  entering  the  great  congregation,  and  as 
exercising  sovereignty  over  the  nations.  These  facts 
never  occurred,  all  of  them,  in  the  life  of  David  ;  but 
were  predictions  concerning  his  illustrious  Son. 

In  the  53d  chapter  of  Isaiah  the  resurrection  of  the 
Messiah  from  death  is  also  foretold:  "When  thou 
shalt  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  he  shall  see  his 
seed;  he  shall  prolong  his  days,  and  the  pleasure  of 
the  Lord  shall  prosper  in  his  hand.  Therefore  will  I 
divide  him  a  portion  with  the  great,  and  he  shall 
divide  the  spoil  with  the  strong;  because  he  hath 
poured  out  his  soul  unto  death."  Here,  the  same 
person,  whose  "soul  was  made  an  offering  for  sin," 
and  whose  "soul  was  poured  out  unto  death,"  is 
represented  subsequently  as  living,  reigning,  and  tri- 
umphing. If  then  the  psalm  refer  to  the  Messiah,  it 
of  course  teaches  his  resurrection  from  the  grave. 

The  author  above  quoted,  makes  the  following  ju- 
dicious observations  in  reference  to  the  three  passages 
of  Scripture  above  referred  to.  "  Whoever  had  learned 
from  Isaiah  liii.,  to  know  the  servant  of  God,  who 
after  having  died  for  us,  should  be  exalted  to  the 
highest  glory,  and  enjoy  a  never  ending  life ;  or  from 
Psalm  xxii,  had  become  familiar  with  the  thought  of  a 
Messiah,  who  should  pass  through  suffering  to  glory, 
and  at  the  same  time  had  perceived  that  the  speaker 
in  a  psalm,  was  not  always  of  course  its  subject, 
might  easily  come  to  the  conclusion,  that  not  David, 
but  the  Messiah,  in  the  expectation  of  whose  advent 
the  whole  spiritual  life  of  the  people  entered,  here  ap- 
pears as  speaker,  and  foretells  his  own  resurrection. 
And  even  granting  that  no  one  under  the  Old  Testa- 
ment attained  to  this  knowledge,  it  is  yet  so  obvious 
to  us,  who  can  institute  a  far  more  extensive  compa- 


132  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

rison  of  the  prophecies  illustrated  by  the  fulfilment, 
that  we  must  regard  the  Messianic  interpretation,  as 
at  least  the  most  probable,  even  without  the  evidence 
of  the  New  Testament."  * 

If  then  it  was  foretold  that  the  Messiah  was  not 
only  to  die,  but  also  to  arise  again  from  the  grave;  and 
if  it  be  proven,  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  after  his  cru- 
cifixion, did  thus  arise  by  the  special  energy  and  inter- 
position of  God,  then  is  it  clear,  that  in  this  particular, 
the  history  of  Jesus  also  fulfils  prophecy  concerning 
the  promised  Deliverer,  and  shows  that  he  was  indeed 
the  Son  of  God. 

But  Jesus  himself  not  only  asserted  his  Messiahship 
as  we  have  already  seen,  but  predicted  his  resurrec- 
tion after  three  days.  "  From  that  time  forth  began 
Jesus  to  show  unto  his  disciples,  how  that  he  must  go 
unto  Jerusalem,  and  suffer  many  things  of  the  elders 
and  chief  priests,  and  scribes,  and  be  killed,  and  be 
raised  again  the  third  day."  Matt.  xvi.  21.  Now, 
if  in  accordance  with  this  and  similar  statements,  he 
actually  did  arise  from  death,  not  only  is  his  testimony 
to  his  resurrection  to  be  believed,  but  also  his  more 
important  testimony,  that  he  was  the  Messiah,  is 
established.  This  truth  he  often  asserted,  this  truth  he 
always  admitted.  If  then,  by  the  direct  concurrence 
of  heaven,  he  was  actually  raised  from  the  tomb,  his 
Messiahship  is  confirmed  by  God  himself,  and  illus- 
trated by  a  miracle  the  most  remarkable,  of  which  we 
have  any  knowledge. 

Equally  evident  is  it,  that  if  Jesus  was  raised  from 
the  dead,  and  if  he  did  ascend  up  into  heaven,  accord- 
ing to  the  testimony  of  the  Evangelists;  and  if  espe- 
cially, the  concurrence  of  his  own  will  was  employed 
in  this  resurrection  and  ascension,  then  must  it  be  ad- 
mitted, that  Jesus  has  all  those  attributes  and  qualifi- 
cations, which  peculiarly  and  exclusively  adapt  him 
to  the  Messianic  kingdom  and  throne. 

Is  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  then,  a  well  authenti- 
cated fact?  This  will  depend  of  course,  upon  the 
number,  the  competency,  and  the  credibility  of  the 

*  Chris,  i.  124. 


THE  MESSIAH.  133 

witnesses,  who  have  testified  to  the  rest  of  the  world 
on  the  subject. 

The  number  of  witnesses  is  sufficient.  The  Jewish 
law,  and  the  laws  of  other  nations,  require  even  in 
capital  offences,  the  testimony  of  but  two  or  more 
witnesses.  "At  the  mouth  of  two  witnesses,  or  three 
witnesses,  shall  he  that  is  worthy  of  death,  be  put  to 
death."  Deut.  xvii.  6.  The  witnesses  to  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Jesus  are  the  eleven  Apostles,  together  with  a 
large  number  of  others.  "  He  was  seen  of  Cephas, 
says  the  Apostle  Paul,  then  of  the  twelve ;  after  that 
he  was  seen  of  above  five  hundred  brethren  at  once ; 
after  that  he  was  seen  of  James;  then  of  all  the 
Apostles,  and  last  of  all,  he  was  seen  of  me  also,  as 
of  one  born  out  of  due  time."  1  Cor.  xv.  5-8. 

These  witnesses  were  also  competent.  The  com- 
petency of  a  witness  in  this  case  depends  upon  three 
things  ; — upon  his  knowledge  of  Jesus  before  his  cruci- 
fixion ;  upon  his  personal  observation  of  his  death ; 
and  upon  personal  interviews  with  him  after  his  resur- 
rection. The  witnesses  were  acquainted  with  Jesus 
previously  to  his  crucifixion.  They  had  been  intimate 
with  him,  many  of  them,  even  from  his  childhood. 
Others  had  been  his  constant  companions  for  several 
years ;  they  knew  no  one  more  certainly  than  they 
had  known  him. 

They  were  also  the  personal  spectators  of  his  cruci- 
fixion and  death.  This  scene  took  place  at  the  feast 
of  the  Passover,  when  Jerusalem  was  crowded  with 
Jews  from  every  part  of  Judea,  and  almost  of  the 
world.  It  was  exhibited  in  the  most  public  manner. 
If,  therefore,  the  Apostles  felt  any  interest  in  the  fate 
of  their  Master,  they  could  not  avoid  witnessing  it. 
It  is  impossible  to  deny  that  they  felt  the  deepest  in- 
terest in  him.  They  must  therefore  have  had  the 
most  certain  knowledge,  of  the  issue  of  his  crucifixion. 
Hence,  they  have  detailed  with  the  greatest  accuracy 
every  event  which  occurred,  from  the  bloody  sweat 
of  Gethsemane,  to  his  expiring  cry  upon  the  cross. 
When  the  soldiers  drove  the  nails,  and  lifted  up  the 
cross,  they  saw  it ;  when  the  multitudes  derided  him, 


134  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

wagging  their  heads,  they  saw  it ;  and  when  Jesus 
exclaimed,  "  Father,  into  thy  hands  I  commit  my 
spirit,"  and  immediately  expired,  they  witnessed  it. 
And  when,  after  his  death,  "a  soldier  with  a  spear 
pierced  his  side,  and  forthwith  came  thereout  blood 
*and  water,"  they  saw  it.  In  recording  his  personal 
testimony  to  this  fact,  John  says,  "and  he  that 
saw  it,  bare  record ;  and  his  record  is  true,  and  he 
knoweth  that  he  sayeth  true,  that  ye  might  believe." 
John  xix.  35.  The  certainty  of  his  death  was  also 
conveyed  officially  to  Pilate.  Nor  could  Joseph  and 
Nicodemus,  who  were  rulers,  and  who  buried  him,  be 
deceived.  And  even  if  it  were  possible  for  all  these 
to  be  imposed  upon,  can  we  imagine,  that  "the  chief 
Priests  and  Pharisees,"  who  had  his  sepulchre  sealed, 
could  have  been  mistaken  ?  Indeed,  the  reality  of  his 
death  was  never  questioned  by  the  Jews,  or  by 
any  one  in  that  day  ;  it  was  in  reference  to  his  resur- 
rection only,  that  they  disbelieved. 

The  Apostles  also,  had,  not  one,  but  many  personal 
and  protracted  interviews  with  Jesus,  after  his  resur- 
rection. He  not  only  appeared  to  Mary  Magdalene, 
but  conversed  with  her.  He  was  not  only  seen  by 
the  two  on  the  way  to  Emmaus,  but  entered  into  a 
long  conversation  with  them.  The  very  same  eve- 
ning, too,  he  entered  the  room  where  ten  of  the  Apos- 
tles had  assembled,  and  furnished  them  with  the  most 
indubitable  proof  of  the  reality  of  his  resurrection. 
"And  he  said  unto  them,  why  are  ye  troubled  ?  and 
why  do  thoughts  arise  in  your  mind?  Behold  my 
hands  and  my  feet,  that  it  is  I  myself:  handle  me  and 
see,  for  a  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and  bones,  as  ye  see  me 
have.  And  when  he  had  thus  spoken,  he  showed 
them  his  hands  and  his  feet,  (that  is,  the  marks  of  the 
nails.)  And  while  they  yet  believed  not  for  joy,  and 
wondered,  he  said  unto  them,  Have  ye  here  any 
meat  ?  and  they  gave  him  a  piece  of  broiled  fish,  and 
of  an  honey-cornb,  and  he  took  it,  and  did  eat  before 
them."  Luke  xxiv.  He  next  enters  into  a  protracted 
discourse  with  them.  In  this  case,  the  personal  iden- 
tity of  Jesus,  is  submitted  to  the  most  minute  and 


THE    MESSIAH.  135 

varied  examination  of  ten  men,  for  the  space  at  least 
of  several  hours.  How  was  it  possible  for  them  to 
be  deceived  ? 

One  of  their  number,  however,  being  absent,  the 
interview  was  repeated  a  week  afterwards.  "And  af- 
ter eight  days,  again  his  disciples  were  within,  and 
Thomas  with  them.  Then  came  Jesus,  the  doors  being 
shut,  and  stood  in  the  midst  and  said,  Peace  be  unto 
you.  Then  saith  he  to  Thomas,  reach  hither  thy  fin- 
ger, and  behold  my  hands ;  and  reach  hither  thy  hand, 
and  thrust  it  into  my  side,  and  be  not  faithless,  but 
believing.  And  Thomas  answered,  and  said,  "  My 
Lord  and  my  God !"  John  xx.  Another  discourse  of 
considerable  length  also  follows,  during  which  the 
Apostles  had  every  possible  opportunity  for  ascertain- 
ing the  truth  of  his  resurrection.  The  interview,  at  the 
sea  of  Galilee,  was  also  of  the  same  convincing  and 
irresistible  character.  Jesus  not  only  appears  to  seven 
of  the  Apostles,  but  works  a  miracle  for  them,  eats 
before  them,  and  converses  with  them  for  a  consider- 
able time.  John  xxi. 

It  is  impossible  therefore,  for  the  witnesses  to  this 
fact,  to  have  been  deceived.  They  had  every  oppor- 
tunity that  men  could  have,  to  know  the  truth  in  the 
case.  They  knew  Jesus  before  his  crucifixion  most 
intimately;  they  were  spectators  of  his  crucifixion, 
and  they  had  several  protracted  interviews  with  him 
after  his  resurrection,  during  which  he  not  only  ex- 
hibited the  very  marks  of  his  execution,  but  both  ate 
in  their  presence,  and  conversed  freely  with  them. 

Are  these  witnesses  then  credible?  This  question  is 
to  be  decided  by  a  reference  to  their  moral  character. 
It  is  impossible  for  a  good  man,  and  especially  for  a 
number  of  good  men,  to  impose  a  deliberate  falsehood 
upon  others.     Were  the  Apostles  then  good  men? 

The  first  evidence  to  this  fact  is  to  be  adduced  from 
the  doctrines  and  precepts  which  they  promulged,and 
which  it  is  certain  they  believed.  Now,  character  is 
the  result  of  certain  truths  upon  the  heart.  If  then 
the  Apostles  published  to  the  world,  and  really  em- 
braced, themselves,  a  set  of  doctrines,  and  a  code  of 


136  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

morals,  the  most  pure  and  heavenly,  that  the  world 
has  ever  known,  how  is  it  possible  for  them  to  have 
been  wicked  or  deceitful  men  ? 

The  publication  of  these  truths,  too,  and  especially 
their  public  testimony  to  the  resurrection  of  their  Mas- 
ter, subjected  them  to  every  sort  of  indignity  and  per- 
secution. It  was  at  the  peril  of  their  lives,  that  they 
bore  such  testimony.  And  yet  they  bore  it,  not  only 
in  the  temple,  but  in  the  presence  of  the  very  mur- 
derers of  Jesus. 

The  spirit,  too,  which  these  witnesses  exhibit,  de- 
monstrates their  sincerity.  What  brotherly  love  reign- 
ed among  them,  what  benevolence  toward  mankind! 
What  an  absence  of  resentment,  what  a  calm  submis- 
sion to  injuries !  What  adherence  to  truth!  What  love 
of  principle!  There  is,  indeed,  not  the  least  evidence 
against  the  moral  character  of  even  one  of  them.  Their 
reputation  was  above  suspicion.  Look  at  the  charges, 
brought  occasionally  against  them  by  their  enemies! 
What  are  they  ?  They  all  lie  against  the  very  truth 
they  were  publishing,  and  in  the  publication  of  which 
they  jeoparded  their  lives.  The  only  crime  is,  that 
they  teach  the  people,  that  Jesus  was  alive,  and  that 
he  was  indeed  the  Messiah  ! 

If  then,  these  witnesses  were  of  sufficient  number, 
if  they  were  competent  to  judge  as  to  what  they  tes- 
tified, and  if  they  were  credible  witnesses,  being  all  of 
them  men  of  the  greatest  integrity  of  character,  then, 
does  the  resurrection  of  Jesus,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  rest 
upon  a  foundation  the  most  solid  of  which  we  can 
conceive.  No  other  truth  in  history  is  more  clearly 
attested — no  other  truth  in  history  possesses  higher 
claims  upon  our  belief. 

Now,  whether  we  consider  Jesus  as  raised  by  the 
Father,according  to  several  Old  Testament  prophecies, 
or  by  the  Spirit,  according  to  the  testimony  of  Paul, 
or  by  himself,  according  to  his  own  testimony,  it  alters 
not  the  case.  There  doubtless  are  senses  in  which 
the  Three  Persons  of  the  Trinity  were  all  concerned 
in  his  resurrection  to  life.  The  reality  of  his  resurrec- 
tion is  the  main  point  in  the  argument.     This  we  have 


THE    MESSIAH.  137 

fully  proven.  If  then,  he  really  arose  from  the  dead, 
there  are  several  prophecies  referring  to  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  Messiah  fulfilled  in  him.  Then  is  his  own 
testimony  to  Messiahship  confirmed ;  and  then,  may 
we  readily  believe,  that,  in  as  much  as  he  triumphed 
over  all  the  powers  of  death,  so  he  possesses  all  those 
powers  and  prerogatives  that  are  appropriate  to  the 
Messiah,  and  that  he  is  able  to  save  and  deliver  all  who 
put  their  trust  in  him. 

There  is  one  other  source  of  evidence  to  the  reality 
of  the  resurrection  of  Jesus,  which  must  not  be  alto- 
gether omitted.  Jesus  had  promised  to  his  disciples 
"  the  Comforter.''  He  had  assured  them,  that  after  a 
few  days,  they  would  be  endued  with  extraordinary 
power  from  on  high.  This  promise  was  fulfilled  in 
the  most  public  and  extraordinary  manner.  About 
ten  days  after  the  ascension  of  their  Master,  and  in 
the  midst  of  the  feast  of  Pentecost,  the  Holy  Ghost 
was  poured  out  upon  the  Apostles.  They  were  at 
once  endued  with  the  knowledge  of  foreign  lan- 
guages. They  received  power  to  work  miracles.  They 
had  also  such  spirit  and  energy  imparted  to  them,  as 
rendered  them  willing  to  face  either  danger  or  death, 
in  their  extraordinary  mission. 

Now,  it  is  impossible  for  such  an  event  as  this  to 
have  taken  place,  without  Divine  approval.  And  it  is 
equally  impossible  for  that  approval  to  have  been 
given,  and  yet  the  Apostles  to  have  been  bad  men,  and 
engaged  at  the  time  in  fabricating  a  pernicious  delu- 
sion for  the  rest  of  mankind.  This  extraordinary  effu- 
sion, then,  of  the  Spirit  upon  the  witnesses,  so  publicly 
given,  must  be  considered  as  the  sanction  of  Jehovah 
to  the  truth  of  their  testimony,  as  a  Divine  attestation 
to  the  resurrection  of  Jesus. 


13 


138  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


THE    BLESSINGS   CONFERRED  ON   THE   GENTILES   BY   JESUS. 

In  the  ancient  predictions  concerning  the  Messiah,  it 
was  foretold,  that  the  Gentiles  should  derive  great 
benefits  from  his  advent.  To  punish  the  nations  for 
their  idolatry,  God  had  been  pleased  to  confine  his 
revelations  and  covenants,  for  many  centuries,  to  the 
descendants  of  Abraham.  But  when  the  Great  De- 
liverer should  appear,  and  should  give  to  the  world 
new  and  fuller  exhibitions  of  the  Divine  character  and 
government,  then,  the  nations  of  the  earth  were  to  be 
recalled  from  their  idolatries,  and  restored  to  the  wor- 
ship of  the  true  God. 

This  fact  is  intimated  in  the  primary  call  given  to 
Abraham;  "In  thee  shall  all  families  of  the  earth  be 
blessed."  Gen.  xii.  3.  Besides  other  and  similar  an- 
nouncements of  this  truth  to  Isaac  and  Jacob,  the 
latter  patriarch  makes  a  very  striking  allusion  to  it  in 
the  benediction  pronounced  upon  Judah — "The  scep- 
tre shall  not  depart  from  Judah,  nor  a  lawgiver  from 
between  his  feet  until  Shiloh  come;  and  unto  him 
shall  the  gathering  of  the  people  be."  Gen.  xlix.  10. 
Hengstenberg  paraphrases  this  passage  thus — "Judah 
shall  not  cease  to  exist  as  a  tribe,  nor  lose  its  supe- 
riority, until  it  shall  be  exalted  to  higher  honour  and 
glory,  through  the  great  Redeemer,  who  shall  spring 
from  it,  and  whom  not  only  the  Jews,  but  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth  shall  obey."* 

Similar  predictions  are  also  to  be  found  among  the 
inspired  songs  of  ancient  Israel.  In  the  2d  Psalm, 
Jehovah  addressing  his  Son,  or  the  Messiah,  says — 
"  Ask  of  me,  and  I  shall  give  thee  the  heathen  for 

*  Chris,  i.  59. 


THE    MESSIAH.  139 

thine  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth 
for  thy  possession."  In  the  22d  Psalm  it  is  also  said, 
that  in  the  days  of  the  Messiah,  "All  the  ends  of  the 
world  shall  remember  and  turn  unto  the  Lord:  and 
all  the  kindreds  of  the  nations  shall  worship  before 
thee."  In  the  72d  Psalm,  it  is  predicted  of  the  Mes- 
siah, "  He  shall  have  dominion  also  from  sea  to  sea, 
and  from  the  river,  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth." 

The  Prophets  too,  of  ancient  Israel,  predict  the 
conversion  of  the  Gentiles  under  the  Messiah.  "  And 
in  that  day,"  says  Isaiah,  "  there  shall  be  a  root  of 
Jesse,  which  shall  stand  for  an  ensign  of  the  people; 
to  it  shall  the  Gentiles  seek:  and  his  rest  shall  be  glo- 
rious." Isa.  xi.  Again,  the  same  Prophet  says,  "I  the 
Lord  have  called  thee  in  righteousness,  and  will  hold 
thine  hand,  and  will  keep  thee,  and  give  thee  as  a 
covenant  for  the  people,  for  a  light  of  the  Gentiles." 
Isa.  xlii.  6.  Jeremiah  also  predicts,  "  The  Gentiles  shall 
come  unto  thee  from  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  shall 
say,  Surely  our  fathers  have  inherited  lies,  vanity,  and 
things  in  which  there  is  no  profit."  Jer.  xvi.  And 
Malachi  also  declares,  "  For,  from  the  rising  of  the 
sun,  even  to  the  going  down  of  the  same,  my  name 
shall  be  great  among  the  Gentiles."  Mai.  i. 

It  is  evident,  that  these  predictions  do  not  refer  to 
those  incidental  blessings,  which  the  Israelites,  from 
age  to  age,  may  have  conferred  upon  some  Gentiles. 
These  blessings  were  to  be  general — they  refer  to  a 
particular  period — they  centre  in  a  special  person.  It 
was  in  the  Messiah,  and  from  the  Messiah,  that  the 
nations  were  to  be  blessed. 

Have  these  predictions,  then,  any  fulfilment  in  Jesus 
the  son  of  Mary? 

It  is  noticeable,  then,  I  remark  first,  that  even  the 
birth  of  Jesus  was  attended  with  circumstances  which 
seem  to  point  him  out  as  the  appointed  means  of  con- 
verting the  Gentiles.  "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest, 
and  on  earth  peace,  good-will  toward  men,"  Luke  ii., 
sang  the  celestial  multitudes  at  the  birth  of  the  infant 
Jesus.  This  natal  song  evidently  points  out  Jesus,  as 
the  means  of  blessing  to  the  world  at  large.    The  visit 


140  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

of  the  Eastern  Magi  was  also  indicative  of  the  same 
thing.  Matt.  ii.  The  venerable  Simeon,  too,  as  he 
held  this  remarkable  babe  in  his  arms,  predicted  that 
he  was  to  be,  not  only  "  the  glory  of  Israel,"  but 
"a  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles."  Luke  ii. 

Many  things  also  occurred  during  the  ministry  of 
Jesus,  which  demonstrated  that  these  prophecies  were 
about  being  fulfilled  in  him.  Thus,  when  he  was 
about  to  heal  the  centurion's  servant,  he  said  to  those 
around  him,  "  And  I  say  unto  you,  that  many  shall 
come  from  the  east  and  west,  and  shall  sit  down  with 
Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob  in  the  kingdom  of 
God."  Matt.  viii.  His  healing  also  of  the  Samaritan 
leper,  Luke  xvii. ;  his  casting  out  the  devil  from  the 
daughter  of  the  Syrophenician  woman,  Matt,  xv.;  the 
parable  of  the  good  Samaritan,  Luke  x.;  that  also  of 
the  prodigal  son,  Luke  xv.;  his  remarks  to  the  woman 
of  Sychar,  John  iv.;  his  observations  at  the  feast  when 
certain  Greeks  desired  to  see  him,  John  xii. ;  and 
especially  his  declaration  to  the  chief  priests  and 
elders,  that  "  the  kingdom  of  God  should  be  taken 
from  them,  and  given  to  a  nation  bringing  forth  the 
fruits  thereof,"  Matt,  xxi.,  all  teach,  that  the  Gentiles 
were  to  be  blessed  in  the  mission  of  Jesus. 

After  his  resurrection,  however,  this  truth  was 
made  more  plain.  Although  the  Apostles  were  "to 
tarry  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem  until  endued  with  power 
from  on  high,"  (Luke  xxiv,)  yet,  he  commanded  them 
to  "  go  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature."  Mark  xvi.  Here,  the  partition  wall 
between  Jew  and  Gentile  was  cast  down,  and  "all 
the  families  of  the  earth  were  to  be  blessed,"  in  this 
illustrious  son  of  Abraham. 

Nor  was  this  commission  an  idle  ceremony.  It  is 
true,  that,  even  after  the  Apostles  were  endued  with 
power  from  on  high,  they  lingered  in  the  city  of  Jeru- 
salem. It  is  true,  that,  even  in  them,  the  appropria- 
ting spirit  which  confined  the  blessings  of  the  Messiah 
to  the  Jews  exclusively,  with  great  difficulty  yielded 
to  the  new  commission.  Still,  however,  God's  pur- 
pose prevailed.     Peter  is  sent  to  Caesarea,  by  express 


THE    MESSIAH.  141 

revelation.  Acts  x.  A  persecution  disperses  the  bre- 
thren at  Jerusalem,  and  they  are  sent  abroad  to  pub- 
lish the  glad  tidings.  Acts  viii.  The  preaching  of 
Philip  is  made  instrumental  in  the  conversion  of  the 
Samaritans.  Acts  viii.  An  Ethiopian  is  brought  in  by 
the  same  means.  Acts  viii.  But  what  hastened  this 
result  more  than  any  thing  else,  was  the  conversion  of 
Saul  of  Tarsus.  His  conversion  was  miraculous,  and 
his  character  and  history  altogether  extraordinary. 
More  than  any  other,  he  had  persecuted  the  Church; 
more  than  any  other,  he  was  opposed  to  the  new  sect: 
But  God,  who  had  assigned  him  a  special  and  impor- 
tant field  of  labour,  at  the  predetermined  moment, 
and  in  the  pre-arranged  manner,  arrested  the  bold 
persecutor,  and  makes  him  not  only  a  disciple  of 
Jesus,  but  a  publisher  of  his  gospel. 

Not  long  after  his  conversion,  Saul  was  specially 
designated  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  a  missionary  to  the 
Gentiles.  He  and  Barnabas  laboured  first  in  Asia 
Minor,  but  were  afterwards  directed  to  go  into  Eu- 
rope. In  a  few  years,  they  visited  the  principal  cities 
of  the  two  continents,  and  established  churches  at 
Ephesus,  at  Philippi,  at  Corinth,  and  in  most  of  the 
cities  of  the  then  known  world. 

In  reference  to  the  labours  of  the  other  Apostles, 
and  also  of  the  very  large  and  numerous  ministry 
which  existed  in  those  days,  we  have  but  partial 
accounts.  The  hints,  however,  given  us  in  the  various 
epistles,  together  with  the  known  fact,  that  very 
shortly  afterwards,  Christians  were  scattered  through- 
out the  Roman  empire,  prove,  that  the  early  preach- 
ers of  the  word  must  have  been  exceedingly  diligent 
in  the  propagation  of  the  new  faith.  Even  the  Roman 
capital  became  the  seat  of  a  Christian  church;  while 
Spain  and  other  remote  countries  are  spoken  of  as 
scenes  of  these  benevolent  efforts. 

Upon  the  conversion  of  the  Gentiles  to  the  doctrines 
of  Jesus,  a  new  question  arose,  which  for  a  time  much, 
agitated  the  Christian  Church.  This  question  referred 
to  the  necessity  of  circumcising  the  new  converts,  and 
thus  making  them  Jews  as  well  as  Christians.    The 

13* 


142 


CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 


Synod  assembled  at  Jerusalem,  decided  this  question 
in  the  negative,  and  thus  freed  the  Gentile  Church 
from  this  painful,  and  unnecessary  yoke.  Acts  xv. 

About  forty  years  after  the  resurrection  of  Jesus, 
an  event  took  place,  deeply  painful  in  itself,  yet  of 
great  advantage  to  the  new  faith,  This  was  the  over- 
throw of  the  Jews  by  the  Romans,  together  with  the 
destruction  of  their  temple,  and  the  practical  aboli- 
tion of  their  ritual  services.  These  events  had  been 
most  graphically  and  mournfully  foretold  by  Jesus. 
Matt.  xxiv.  Luke  xxi.  Considered  as  judgments  upon 
the  nation,  they  were  inflicted  as  a  punishment  for 
his  crucifixion.  Luke  xix.  44;  xxiii.  28 — 31.  But 
there  was  another  design.  It  was  in  the  temple- 
service  chiefly,  that  the  old  and  new  systems  clashed. 
In  order,  therefore,  to  the  full  development  and  gene- 
ral triumph  of  Christianity,  it  was  necessary  that  the 
temple-service  should  cease.  Indeed,  the  very  exist- 
ence of  the  temple,  its  canonical  priesthood,  its  altar 
of  incense,  its  holy  of  holies,  its  entire  rites  and 
ceremonies  might  all  be  pleaded,  while  they  stood, 
especially  by  the  Jews,  as  so  many  evidences,  that 
that  dispensation  was  still  in  operation,  and  that  Jesus 
was  rather  an  impostor,  than  the  Messiah.  When, 
however,  the  providence  of  God  concurred  with  the 
mission  and  doctrines  of  Jesus,  to  abolish  the  cere- 
monial law  and  priesthood ;  when  the  spires  of  the 
temple  no  longer  glittered  over  the  spiritual  worship 
of  the  new  economy,  nor  the  sword  of  the  temple 
was  seen  any  more  to  shed  the  blood  of  unoffending 
Christians;  when  the  strong  walls  of  Jerusalem  were 
crumbled,  and  her  turrets  were  in  the  dust;  when  the 
Jew  was  a  captive,  and  his  holy  of  holies  defiled  and 
destroyed,  then  did  Christianity  arise  upon  the  world 
as  a  new  sun,  and  the  unpretending  mission  of  Jesus 
receive  a  sanction  which  incredulity  itself  could  scarce- 
ly doubt. 

This  captivity  of  the  Jewish  nation  still  continues. 
Eighteen  centuries  have  passed  away.  Generations 
have  been  born,  and  generations  have  died.  Still, 
however,  is  the  Jew  an  exile  from  the  land  of  his 


THE    MESSIAH.  143 

fathers,  and  the  home  of  his  fathers'  sepulchres.  Still 
too  proud  to  acknowledge  Jesus  as  the  Messiah ; 
still  raising  the  cry  of  his  crucifiers,  "away  with 
him,  away  with  him,"  the  child  of  Abraham  even  yet 
perpetuates  the  cause  of  his  exile,  and  by  rejecting 
Jesus,  excludes  himself  from  the  richest  blessings  of 
the  Abrahamic  covenant!  Other  nations  have  bowed 
to  his  standard;  even  the  most  barbarous  tribes  have 
received  him  as  their  Hope.  The  Indian  and  the 
African,  the  Chinese  and  the  Hottentot;  nations  the 
most  polite,  and  nations  the  most  savage,  have  all 
been  rendering  homage  to  the  son  of  Mary,  the  Son 
of  God.  Still,  however,  the  Jew  disbelieves — disbe- 
lieves and  wanders  on  in  darkness  and  exile,  the 
object  of  deep  interest  to  the  true  Christian,  the  object 
of  ridicule,  it  may  be,  to  the  infidel  or  scoffer,  a 
living  proof,  however,  of  the  truth,  both  of  the  Mo- 
saic and  Christian  Scriptures.  Still  he  wanders,  and 
seems  destined  to  wander,  until  the  time  shall  come, 
that  their  Messianic  captivity  shall  cease,  and  the 
sons  of  Jacob  shall  once  more  cluster  around  Sion, 
and  there  worship  Him  whom  their  fathers  pierced, 
and  there  receive  as  their  King,  Him  whom  their 
fathers  crucified  as  a  malefactor. 

This  diffusion  and  triumph  of  the  doctrines  of  Jesus 
in  Gentile  countries,  besides  being  the  fulfilment  of 
prophecy,  is  proof  of  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus,  on 
two  other  grounds — in  its  cause,  and  in  its  results. 
Whatever  importance  we  may  attach  to  the  zeal,  or 
even  to  the  alleged  fanaticism  of  the  early  preachers 
of  the  gospel,  whatever  power  we  may  ascribe  to 
their  principle  of  brotherly  love;  and  whatever  in- 
fluence we  may  attribute  to  the  performance  of  mira- 
cles by  them ;  still,  we  must  introduce  another  and 
a  more  efficient  cause  for  the  results  which  followed. 
Christianity  is  pre-eminently  a  spiritual  system.  And 
besides  the  war  which  it  waged  with  kings  and  em- 
perors, with  priests  and  worshippers,  with  the  cus- 
toms and  habits  of  men,  it  carried  on  a  still  fiercer 
conflict  with  the  passions  and  prejudices  of  the  human 
heart.     It  sought  to  revolutionize  society  by  revolu- 


144  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

tionizing  individual  man.  It  called  for  a  new  heart, 
for  a  renovated  character.  And  until  this  primary 
demand  was  granted,  nothing  was  gained.  It  was  to 
triumph,  not  over  the  bodies,  but  over  the  souls  of 
men.  It  sought  a  recognition,  not  in  the  decrees  of 
senates,  but  in  the  inward  approval  of  the  human 
will.  Its  temple  was  to  be  a  temple  of  regenerated 
hearts;  its  dominion,  the  subjection  of  converted  men 
to  its  authority. 

Now,  to  accomplish  this,  a  divine  agency  was 
necessary.  Zeal  might  spread  the  message  to  the 
ends  of  the  earth;  miracle  might  attract  attention  to 
the  message  thus  diffused;  eloquence  and  argument 
might  convince  the  judgment  and  sway  the  passions 
in  its  favour;  but  to  effect  a  conversion,  to  seat  that 
message  permanently  in  the  soul,  to  make  it  the 
oracle  of  sound  doctrine,  and  the  umpire  of  pure 
morals,  was  a  work  which  Omnipotence  alone  could 
accomplish. 

To  send  forth,  therefore,  the  fishermen  of  Galilee 
on  the  high  mission  of  converting  the  world,  unac- 
companied with  the  aid  of  a  higher  power,  would 
have  been  a  vain  and  futile  undertaking.  This, 
however,  was  not  done.  "And  lo!  says  Jesus,  I  send 
the  promise  of  my  Father  upon  you."  Luke  xxiv. 
In  these  words  the  necessary  divine  help  is  both  pro- 
mised and  pledged.  The  Holy  Ghost  was  to  accom- 
pany these  humble  instruments;  he  was  to  enlighten 
their  minds;  he  was  to  work  in  them  and  by  them, 
and  they  were  to  suspend  the  entire  success  of  their 
mission  upon  his  accompanying  power. 

Now,  if  the  truths  delivered  by  the  Apostles  of 
Jesus,  were  thus  attended  by  the  Spirit  of  God ;  if  he 
so  far  approved  their  work,  as  to  render  it  effectual 
to  the  conversion  of  men,  then  is  there  in  this  very 
fact  the  most  convincing  proof,  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
was  the  Messiah.  Can  we  believe,  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  would  give  his  sanction  to  imposture?  Can 
we  imagine,  that  God  would  co-operate  with  deluded 
enthusiasts?     Certainly  not. 

Consider  also  the  moral  results  of  this  new  faith. 


THE    MESSIAH.  145 

The  Jew  is  withdrawn  by  it  from  his  traditionary- 
forms  and  ceremonies.  The  Gentile  relinquishes  the 
religion  of  his  ancestors,  and  the  temple  of  his  gods. 
The  disciples  of  Plato,  of  Aristotle,  and  of  Zeno,  lay 
aside  their  metaphysical  jargon.  The  proud  and  the 
revengeful  are  made  humble  and  forgiving.  All  these 
unite  in  the  maintenance  of  a  pure  and  simple  faith  ; 
in  the  exhibition  of  a  holy  and  blameless  life.  No 
matter  what  had  been  the  previous  character  of  men, 
the  result  of  the  new  system  was  always  the  same. 
It  allied  men  to  God  through  the  mediation  of  a  com- 
mon Saviour;  it  bound  them  together  as  a  holy  bro- 
therhood ;  it  filled  them  with  compassion  and  good- 
will toward  the  rest  of  mankind;  and  it  produced  in 
them  all,  a  morality  before  unknown;  a  holiness  to 
which,  previously,  they  were  utter  strangers. 

The  same  effects,  too,  produced  by  this  new  faith  on 
individuals,  extended  to  nations.  National  character, 
national  laws,  national  feelings,  national  destinies, 
were  all  changed  by  it.  It  revolutionized  senates,  it 
changed  the  decrees  of  emperors  and  kings,  it  im- 
pressed a  new  character  upon  the  face  of  society. 

The  history  of  the  world,  too,  proves,  that  in  propor- 
tion as  nations  have  been  under  the  legitimate  influ- 
ence of  these  new  doctrines,  have  they  been  exalted 
and  happy.  New  securities  have  been  furnished 
by  them  to  governments;  new  motives  of  obedience 
to  subjects;,  new  bands  applied  to  all  the  domestic 
and  social  relations  of  life.  The  spread  of  the  new 
system  has  also  been  favourable  to  mental  improve- 
ment and  science.  It  has  especially  been  a  protec- 
tive to  youth  against  innumerable  dangers  and  evils. 
It  has  diffused  a  spirit  of  peace  and  forbearance 
among  mankind.  It  has  referred  the  nations  to  a 
common  origin,  to  a  common  humanity,  to  a  common 
Saviour.  Its  tendency  is  to  destroy  war,  to  establish 
peace,  and  to  make  of  all  mankind  one  great  and 
loving  family. 

Now,  can  it  be  true,  that  results  like  these  are  the 
fruits  of  imposture?  Can  a  system,  founded  in  error, 
promoted  by  fraud,  and  accompanied  by  the  Divine 


146  CHRIST    PROVED    TO    BE 

abhorrence,  thus  exalt  the  soul  of  man — thus  elevate 
the  social  condition  of  the  species?  Can  holiness 
result  from  falsehood,  or  benevolence  be  the  fruit  of 
fanatical  ambition  ?  Has  the  world  received  its 
greatest  blessings  from  the  greatest  of  impostures,  or 
society  its  highest  elevation  from  the  worst  of 
causes?  Surely,  the  judgment  of  mankind  must  be 
in  the  negative.  So  much  of  good  could  not  arise 
from  so  much  of  evil ;  so  much  of  elevation  from  a 
system  of  mere  fraud  and  delusion. 

The  doctrines  of  Jesus  then  are  proved  to  be  divine, 
by  their  fruits.  Their  results  are  such,  as  can  only 
spring  from  a  system  founded  in  truth  and  approved 
by  God.  The  fact,  too,  that  they  are  accompanied  by 
a  Divine  agency,  and  thus  rendered  effectual  to  salva- 
tion, also  demonstrates  their  Divine  origin.  God  can 
have  no  copartnership  with  error,  nor  would  the 
Holy  Ghost  co-operate  with  wicked  men. 

The  point,  however,  on  which  we  desire  here  chiefly 
to  fix  the  attention  is,  that  these  doctrines  have  so 
completely  revolutionized  the  face  of  the  Gentile 
world.  Idolatry,  with  its  long  train  of  superstitions, 
has  been  swept  away.  The  dogmatism  of  ancient 
philosophers  has  been  destroyed.  The  mythological 
charm  of  the  poets  has  been  broken.  The  customs, 
and  rites  and  ceremonies  of  ages  have  been  supplanted. 
All  these  things  have  passed  away,  while  the  gospel 
of  the  great  Nazarene  is  now  enshrined,  where  pagan 
temples,  and  altars,  and  rites  once  stood  !  What  magic 
wand,  what  mysterious  cause  has  effected  all  this?  At 
the  very  time,  too,  when  the  Gentiles  are  enjoying 
such  rich  blessings,  the  Jews  are  without  a  king,  with- 
out a  sceptre,  without  a  throne  !  Why  such  a  change, 
such  a  transfer  of  blessings?  Evidently,  because  the 
seed  of  Israel,  stumbling  at  the  humility  of  a  crucified 
Messiah,  have  been  the  occasion  of  extending  the 
blessings  of  his  kingdom  to  the  other  nations  of  the 
earth.  "I  say,  then,"  says  an  Apostle,  "have  they 
stumbled  that  they  should  fall?  God  forbid;  but 
through  their  fall  salvation  is  come  unto  the  Gentiles." 

How  strongly  then  does  the  existing  state  of  things 


THE    MESSIAH.  147 

prove  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus!  According  to  the 
prophecy  of  Jacob,  the  sceptre  was  not  to  depart  from 
Judah  till  Shiloh  had  come.  But  this  sceptre  has  long 
since  forsaken  that  tribe.  Must  not  Shiloh  then,  al- 
ready have  appeared?  There  is  also  another  proof  of 
this:  to  this  Shiloh  the  nations  were  to  be  gathered. 
They  were  to  receive  him  as  their  King  and  Redeemer. 
Has  not  this  been  fulfilled  in  Jesus?  Let  the  last 
eighteen  centuries  answer;  let  the  existing  state  of  the 
world  reply. 

Thus  have  we  sought  to  prove,  from  his  ancestry, 
from  his  miraculous  birth,  from  the  place  of  his  na- 
tivity, from  the  epoch  of  his  appearance,  from  the  tes- 
timony of  inspired  witnesses,  from  his  own  testimony, 
by  testimony  from  Heaven,  by  miracles,  by  his  charac- 
ter, by  his  teachings,  by  his  sacrifice  and  priesthood, 
by  his  kingly  authority,  by  his  resurrection,  and  by 
the  blessings  he  has  conferred  upon  the  Gentiles,  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ.  More  proof  is  unnecessary — 
further  demonstration  useless.  For  if  men  "  hear  not 
Moses  and  the  Prophets,  neither  will  they  be  per- 
suaded, though  one  arose  from  the  dead." 


PART    II 


ANTICHRIST; 


THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE  THE  ANTICHRIST 


PREDICTED    IN   THE 


HOLY  SCRIPTURES. 


14 


INTRODUCTORY  REMARKS, 


We  have  already  remarked  upon  the  importance  of 
ascertaining  the  personal  identity  of  Christ.  Of  cor- 
responding importance  is  it,  to  discover  the  personal 
identity  of  Antichrist.  Antichrist  is  the  enemy  of 
Christ.  As  therefore,  our  salvation  is  secured  through 
personal  union  by  faith  with  Christ,  so  our  destruc- 
tion is  made  certain,  if  at  last  we  are  found  on  the 
side  of  Antichrist.  Here,  we  cannot  serve  two  mas- 
ters. If  we  adhere  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  we  cannot 
promote  that  of  Antichrist;  and  if  we  maintain  the 
cause  of  Antichrist,  we  cannot  promote  that  of  Christ. 

Nor  is  there  between  these  two  any  neutral  ground. 
"He  that  is  not  for  Christ,  is  against  him;"  and  he 
that  is  not  against  Antichrist,  is  for  him.  Christ  and 
Antichrist  are  in  open  hostility.  The  struggle  is  great, 
and  has  been  of  long  continuance.  It  is  going  on 
around  us;  and  we  cannot  be  idle  spectators  of  the 
scene.  Our  views,  our  feelings,  our  conduct,  must 
favour  the  one  or  the  other  of  these  contending  par- 
ties. Let  every  man,  therefore,  select  his  position, 
and  gird  on  his  armour.  Let  him  choose  the  one  or 
the  other  of  these  two  masters.  Which  will  he  serve? 
With  which  does  he  seek  his  destiny? 

But  how  is  Antichrist  to  be  ascertained?  The 
same  way  that  we  ascertain  Christ.  Search  the  Scrip- 
tures; examine  facts.  The  Jews  were  condemned, 
because,  with  the  Scriptures  in  their  hands,  they  did 
not  recognize,  but  rejected  Christ.  And  so  shall  we 
be  condemned  and  punished,  if,  with  the  same  Scrip- 
tures in  our  hands,  we  do  not  recognize,  but  blindly 
follow  Antichrist. 

The  times  also  require  this  investigation.  Through- 


152  INTRODUCTORY    REMARKS. 

out  Europe,  throughout  the  world,  there  is  a  revival 
of  the  Papal  system.  True,  this  revival  is  not  to  be 
considered  as  indicative  of  any  very  great  triumphs. 
The  best  days  of  Popery  have  been  numbered.  The 
notions  which  men  now  entertain  of  popular  liberty, 
and  of  the  rights  of  conscience,  the  general  intelli- 
gence that  prevails,  the  recorded  history  of  Papal 
oppression,  the  circulation  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and 
above  all,  the  word  of  God,  all  lead  to  the  belief,  that 
no  efforts  of  the  crafty  agents  of  this  crafty  system, 
can  ever  give  it  the  influence  it  has  once  exerted. 
"  Tekel"  is  inscribed  upon  it :  and  some  Cyrus  will, 
ere  long,  be  raised  up,  who  shall  dry  up  its  waters, 
break  down  its  gates  of  brass,  and  let  oppressed 
humanity  go  free.  No;  it  is  not  the  ultimate  triumph 
of  this  system  we  fear;  it  is  the  harm  it  may  do  in  its 
death-struggle;  it  is  the  unnatural  energies  of  its  spas- 
modic dissolution,  that  we  dread. 

In  America,  particularly,  is  this  investigation  im- 
portant. In  all  the  countries  over  which  it  has 
triumphed,  Popery,  like  the  anaconda,  has  wound 
around  its  folds  of  art,  of  cunning,  of  superstition  and 
of  power,  until,  enclosing  every  thing  in  its  too  friendly 
embraces,  it  has,  with  one  tremendous  effort,  crushed 
the  nation  to  death.  It  sends  forth  its  missionaries; 
it  gathers  its  schools  and  colleges;  it  erects  its  cathe- 
drals and  builds  its  churches;  it  is  patriotic,  benevo- 
lent, charitable.  Its  alms  and  offerings  attract  the 
vulgar,  its  austerities  and  penances  convince  the  scep- 
tical. It  is  at  first  tolerated;  then  approved;  next 
obeyed!  But  now  come  the  dread  realities  of  the 
system,  taxation,  passive  submission,  excommunica- 
tions, interdicts,  crusades,  the  inquisition,  destruction. 
Yes,  Popery  has  well  nigh  destroyed  every  country 
in  which  it  has  been  predominant.  The  liberties  and 
national  prosperity  of  a  people  cannot  co-exist  with 
such  a  system. 

Let  then,  Americans — Americans,  who  have  never 
witnessed  a  Court  of  Inquisition,  or  an  Auto-da-fc,  on 
their  virgin  soil;  Americans,  whose  national  liberties 
are  still  fragrant  with  the  blood  of  revolutionary  fore- 


INTRODUCTORY    REMARKS.  153 

fathers;  Americans,  whose  proud  eminence  in  the 
civilized  world,  gives  them  more  to  lose  than  other 
nations;  let  Americans  especially  examine  this  sub- 
ject well.  And  if,  in  such  an  examination,  the  fol- 
lowing pages  shall  contribute  but  a  mite  to  the  dis- 
covery of  the  truth,  the  author  will  feel  himself  more 
than  compensated  for  the  labour  they  have  cost 
him. 


14* 


THE  PArACY  PROVED -TO  BE  THE  ANTICHRIST. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   SEAT   OF  ANTICHRIST. 

The  same  inspired  word,  which  has  revealed  to  the 
Church  an  Antichrist  to  come,  has  also  specified  the 
seat  of  his  power:  that  seat  is  the  city  of  Rome. 

In  Daniel's  vision  of  the  four  beasts,  is  the  follow- 
ing language:  "I  considered  the  horns,  and  there 
came  up  among  them  another  little  horn,  before  whom 
there  were  three  of  the  first  horns  plucked  up  by  the 
roots:  and  behold  in  this  horn  were  eyes,  like  the  eyes 
of  man,  and  a  mouth  speaking  great  things."  Dan. 
vii.  8.  The  beast  upon  whose  head  Daniel  saw  the 
ten  horns,  is  generally  supposed  by  commentators  to 
symbolize  the  Roman  government;  the  ten  horns,  the 
ten  kingdoms  by  which  that  government  was  suc- 
ceeded; and  the  little  horn,  the  Papacy.  The  reasons, 
upon  which  this  interpretation  is  founded,  are  the  fol- 
lowing: 

The  scope  of  the  vision  requires  it.  This  vision 
was  given  to  Daniel,  to  portray  before  his  mind, 
those  great  empires,  or  governments,  which  were  to 
precede  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  the  Messiah. 
These  governments  were  four.  The  first,  under  the 
symbol  of  a  lion,  was  the  Assyrian.  The  second, 
under  the  symbol  of  a  bear,  was  the  Persian.  The 
third,  under  the  symbol  of  a  leopard,  was  the  Mace- 
donian or  Grecian.  The  fourth,  which  was  repre- 
sented by  "  a  beast  dreadful  and  terrible,  and  strong 
exceedingly,"  must,  of  course,  be  the  Roman. 

To  apply  this  last  symbol  as  some  have  done,  to 
the  kingdom  of  the  Seleucidae,  is  to  commit  two  fatal 


156  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

errors.  That  kingdom  is  represented  in  the  vision, 
by  one  of  the  heads  of  the  third  beast,  the  symbol  of 
the  Grecian  empire;  for  it  is  expressly  said,  "the 
beast  had  four  heads."  These  four  heads  were,  the 
Egyptian,  Syrian,  Thracian,  and  Macedonian  divi- 
sions of  the  great  Alexandrian  empire.  If,  then,  the 
kingdom  of  the  Seleucidse,  or  Syria,  were  included 
under  the  third  symbol,  it  certainly  would  not  be  also 
exhibited  by  the  fourth. 

The  other  fatal  mistake  is,  that  this  hypothesis 
makes  Syria  a  greater  and  more  notable  kingdom, 
not  only  than  the  Assyrian,  the  Persian,  and  the  Gre- 
cian; but  than  even  the  Roman  empire  itself!  It  is 
expressly  said,  by  the  angelic  interpreter  of  the  vision, 
that  this  fourth  beast  "  shall  devour  the  whole  earth, 
and  shall  tread  it  down,  and  break  it  in  pieces."  This 
was  never  true  of  Syria,  nor  has  it  been  of  any  other 
kingdom  since,  but  that  established  by  Romulus. 

The  ultimate  dismemberment  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire, and  the  formation  from  its  fragments,  of  ten 
separate  states,  also  agree  with  this  interpretation.* 
"  The  ten  horns  out  of  this  kingdom,"  says  the  angel, 
"are  ten  kings  (i.  e.  kingdoms)  that  shall  arise." 
Now  it  is  a  notorious  fact,  that  when  the  Roman 
empire  was  overrun  and  subverted  by  the  northern 
nations  of  Europe,  ten  kingdoms  arose  out  of  its  frag- 
ments. The  following  are  the  names  of  those  king- 
doms, as  given  by  Machiavel,  himself  a  Roman  Catho- 
lic. "  The  Ostrogoths  in  Moesia ;  the  Visigoths  in 
Pannonia;  the  Sueves  and  Alans  in  Gascoigne  and 
Spain;  the  Vandals  in  Africa  ;  the  Franks  in  France  ; 
the  Burgundians  in  Burgundy;  the  Heruli  and  Tu- 
ringi  in  Italy;  the  Saxons  and  Angles  in  Britain;  the 
Huns  in  Hungary ;  the  Lombards,  at  first  upon  the 
Danube,  but  afterwards  in  Italy."t 

This  interpretation  is  also  supported  by  the  very 
extraordinary  agreement  between  "  the  little  horn" 
and  the  Papacy.  This  little  horn  "came  up  among" 
the  other  horns;  "it  was  diverse  from  the  rest;" 
"  it  plucked  up  three  of  them  by  the  roots ;"  "  its  look 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  A.  t  His.  Flor.  i.  1. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  157 

was  more  stout  than  its  fellows;"  "it  had  eyes  like  the 
eyes  of  man  ;"  it  had  also  "  a  mouth  that  spake  very 
great  things ;"  it  made  war  with  the  saints,  and  pre- 
vailed against  them,  till  the  Ancient  of  days  came, 
and  judgment  was  given  to  the  saints."  The  length 
of  time,  too,  during  which  this  "little  horn"  should 
oppress  the  saints,  is  expressly  stated  to  be,  "a  time, 
times,  and  the  dividing  of  time;"  that  is,  twelve  hun- 
dred and  sixty  years. 

All  these  marks  indicate  the  Papacy  so  strongly, 
that  it  is  difficult  to  conceive  how  they  could  ever 
have  had  a  different  application.  The  Papacy  arose 
among  the  ten  Gothic  kingdoms  of  Europe:  it  was, 
however,  diverse  from  all  those  kingdoms,  being  an 
ecclesiastical  sovereignty;  in  its  rise,  it  subverted  three 
of  those  kingdoms,  those  of  the  Heruli,  Ostrogoths, 
and  Lombards;  its  "look"  too,  has  always  been  more 
"stout,"  than  that  of  any  other  European  kingdom; 
it  is  distinguished  for  craft  and  cunning;  it  is  more 
ambitious  and  boastful  than  its  neighbours,  pretending 
to  exercise  absolute  sovereignty  over  them;  it  has 
ever  been  a  persecuting  power ;  and  it  is  long-lived ; 
having  not  even  yet  exhausted  the  twelve  hundred 
and  sixty  years  of  its  predicted  existence.  What  a 
remarkable  agreement  between  prophecies  and  facts! 
What  a  perfect  symbol  is  the  "  little  horn,"  of  the 
Papal  power!  Probably,  no  one  Messianic  type  in 
the  Old  Testament  scriptures,  is  more  perfectly  ful- 
filled in  Jesus,  than  is  this  little  horn  in  the  Papacy. 

The  commentator  on  the  Doway  Bible  admits  that 
"the  little  horn"  is  a  symbol  of  Antichrist.  "This," 
says  he,  "is  commonly  understood  of  Antichrist.  It 
may  also  be  applied  to  that  great  persecutor  Antio- 
chus  Epiphanes,  as  a  figure  of  Antichrist."  But  who 
is  Antichrist  ?  According  to  Romanists,  some  great 
enemy  of  Christianity,  who  is  to  arise  at  some  future 
period,  who  will  dreadfully  oppress  the  Church,  and 
whose  duration  will  be  very  brief.  Upon  the  expres- 
sion in  this  vision,  "a  time,  times,  and  half  a  time," 
the  same  commentator  says,  "  this  means  three  years 
and  a  half,  which  is  supposed  to  be  the  length  of  the 
duration  of  the  persecution  of  Antichrist." 


158  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

That  this  papal  interpretation  of  the  symbol  is  in- 
correct, is  evident.  The  fourth  beast  is  admitted, 
even  by  this  same  authority,  to  be  the  "  Roman  em- 
pire." The  ten  horns  are  also  said  to  represent 
"  ten  kingdoms,  among  which  the  empire  of  the  fourth 
beast  shall  be  parcelled/'  Now,  the  Roman  empire 
has  ceased  to  exist  for  many  centuries  past.  If,  then, 
it  ever  could  be  divided  into  ten  kingdoms,  such  divi- 
sion must  already  have  taken  place.  The  "  little 
horn,"  then,  or  Antichrist,  must,  of  course,  have  been 
in  existence  long  since;  for  it  was  to  "spring  out  of 
the  midst"  of  the  other  horns,  or  kingdoms.  And, 
here,  I  cannot  but  remark  upon  the  unfairness  of  this 
papistical  commentary.  The  beast,  it  states,  repre- 
sents the  Roman  empire;  the  ten  horns,  the  ten  king- 
doms, into  which  that  empire  was  divided.  And  yet, 
the  "  little  horn,"  which  is  admitted  to  be  a  symbol  of 
Antichrist,  and  which  was  to  exist  among  the  ten 
horns,  or  kingdoms,  is  said  to  be  a  figure  of  some 
malignant  power  not  yet  in  existence! 

We  have  not,  however,  located  Antichrist  at  Rome. 
Daniel  places  him  among  the  ten  horns;  that  is,  among 
the  nations  of  Southern  Europe.  He  does  not,  how- 
ever, inform  us  of  his  precise  locality.  This  is  done 
by  the  Apostle  John.  "  And  I  saw  a  woman  sit  upon 
a  scarlet-coloured  beast,  full  of  names  of  blasphemy, 
having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns.  And  the  woman 
was  arrayed  in  purple  and  scarlet  colour,  and  decked 
with  gold  and  precious  stones  and  pearls;  having  a 
golden  cup  in  her  hand  full  of  abominations,  and 
filthiness  of  her  fornication.  And  upon  her  fore- 
head was  a  name  written — '  Mystery,  Babylon  the 
great,  the  mother  of  harlots,  and  abominations  of  the 
earth/  And  I  saw  the  woman  drunken  with  the 
blood  of  the  saints,  and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs 
of  Jesus."  In  explaining  these  remarkable  symbols, 
the  angel  said  to  John,  "  The  seven  heads  are  seven 
mountains  on  which  the  woman  sitteth."  And,  as  if 
this  were  not  sufficiently  distinct,  he  adds :  "  The 
woman  which  thou  sawest  is  that  great  city  which 
reigneth  over  the  kings  of  the  earth."     Rev.  xvii. 

This  passage  may  be  considered  both  as  a  com- 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  159 

mentary  upon,  and  an  enlargement  of,  the  vision  of 
Daniel.  Here,  as  there,  is  "  a  beast  having  ten  horns." 
The  beast,  in  the  vision  of  John,  as  in  that  of  Daniel, 
symbolizes  Rome ;  the  ten  horns,  the  ten  kingdoms 
which  succeeded  the  Roman  empire.  Rev.  xvii.  12. 
While,  however,  Daniel's  beast  is  represented  as 
"dreadful  and  terrible,  and  strong  exceedingly," 
John's  is  said  to  be  "scarlet-coloured  and  full  of 
names  of  blasphemy."  The  reason  for  this  is,  that 
Daniel  referred  principally  to  Rome  Republican  and 
Imperial,  while  John,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter,  de- 
scribes chiefly  Rome  Papal.  In  Daniel's  vision  there 
is  no  mention  made  of  "the  seven  heads"  of  the 
beast.  This  figure  is  employed  in  the  latter  vision  to 
identify  the  beast,  "The  seven  heads,"  says  the 
angel,  "are  seven  mountains."  This  refers  to  the 
seven  hills  on  which  Rome  is  built.  The  grand  dis- 
tinction, however,  between  the  two  visions  is,  that 
while  Daniel  speaks  of  "a  little  horn"  rising  up 
among  the  ten  horns,  John  omits  this  figure,  but 
introduces  another  of  a  different  kind.  He  sees  "a 
woman  arrayed  in  purple  and  scarlet-colour,  and 
decked  with  gold  and  precious  stones,"  sitting  upon 
the  beast.  The  reason  for  this  difference  is,  that 
Daniel  represents  Antichrist  as  a  political,  while  John 
exhibits  him  as  an  ecclesiastical  power. 

Nor  will  it  appear  upon  examination,  that  "the 
little  horn"  is  a  more  significant  type  of  the  Papal 
state,  than  the  "  woman  arrayed  in  purple  and  scar- 
let" is  of  the  Papal  church.  This  woman  was  seen 
"sitting  upon  the  scarlet-coloured  beast."  This  de- 
notes that  union  of  church  and  state,  which  has  so 
long  existed  between  the  Papacy  and  the  civil  govern- 
ments of  Europe.  It  also  indicates  the  authority 
which  the  Roman  church  has  so  absolutely  wielded 
over  these  governments.  The  woman  was  also  "  ar- 
rayed in  purple  and  scarlet-colour."  The  Pope  of 
Rome  has  for  ages  pretended  to  be  emperor  of  the 
whole  world.  As  such,  he  not  only  dresses  himself 
in  purple  and  scarlet,  but  adorns  with  the  same  costly 
materials,  all  around  him — "Even  the  mules  and 


160         THE  PArACY  PROVED  to  be 

horses,"  says  Bishop  Newton,  "which  carry  the  popes 
and  cardinals,  are  covered  with  scarlet  cloth;  so  that 
they  may  be  said,  literally,  to  ride  upon  'a  scarlet- 
coloured  beast.'"*  This  woman  was  also  "decked 
with  gold  and  precious  stones,  and  pearls."  This 
indicates  the  very  great  wealth  and  splendour  of 
papal  establishments.  The  following  is  an  extract 
from  a  letter  written  by  a  traveller  in  Mexico :  "  In 
the  cathedral  of  Puebla  hangs  a  chandelier  of  massive 
gold  and  silver,  of  whole  tons  in  weight.  On  the  right 
of  the  altar  stands  a  carved  figure  of  the  Virgin, 
dressed  in  beautiful  embossed  satin,  executed  by  the 
nuns  of  the  place.  Around  her  neck  is  suspended  a 
row  of  pearls  of  precious  value;  a  coronet  of  pure 
gold  encircles  her  brow;  and  her  waist  is  bound  with 
a  zone  of  pure  diamonds  and  enormous  brilliants. 
The  candelabras  in  the  cathedral  are  of  silver  and 
gold,  too  massive  to  be  raised  by  even  the  strongest 
hand,  and  the  Host  is  one  mass  of  splendid  jewels  of 
the  richest  kind.  In  the  cathedral  at  Mexico,  there 
is  a  railing  of  exquisite  workmanship,  five  feet  in 
height,  and  two  hundred  feet  in  length,  of  gold  and 
silver ;  on  which  stands  a  figure  of  the  Virgin,  with 
three  petticoats — one  of  pearls,  one  of  emeralds,  and 
one  of  diamonds;  the  figure  alone  is  valued  at  three 
millions  of  dollars."  If  such  be  papal  worship  in 
Mexico,  what  is  it  among  the  splendid  capitals  of 
Europe  ?     What  must  it  be  at  Rome? 

This  woman  is  also  represented  as  a  harlot ;  yea, 
as  the  greatest  of  harlots.  This  refers  to  the  idola- 
tries of  papal  Rome.  That  the  fornication  here  alluded 
to  is  spiritual,  that  is,  idolatry,  is  admitted  by  even 
Romanists  themselves.  "By  Babylon,"  says  the  com- 
mentator on  the  Doway  Bible,  "  is  meant  either  the 
city  of  the  devil  in  general,  or  pagan  Rome,  which 
was  the  principal  seat  of  empire  and  idolatry."  Here, 
however,  a  great  mistake  is  committed,  in  supposing, 
that  the  prophecy  alludes  to  pagan  Rome.  This 
harlot,  or  adulterous  woman,  is  evidently  the  type  of 

*  On  Proph.  568. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  161 

a  false  church.     But  when  was  any  church  whatever 
in  alliance  with  pagan  Rome  ?     In  the  days  of  pagan 
Rome,  the  church,  so  far  from  riding  on  the  beast,  was 
trampled  under  foot,  and  almost  destroyed  by  him. 
Evidently  the  reference  is  to  papal  Rome.     And  are 
there  no   such   idolatries  practised   in  this  apostate 
church,  as  correspond  with  the  figure  so  graphically 
drawn  by  the  Apostle?  Is  not  the  Pope  himself  wor- 
shipped?   Is  not  the   Virgin   worshipped?    Do   not 
churches  and  altars,  relics  and  crucifixes,  pictures  and 
statues,  saints  and  angels,  all  receive  divine  honours? 
Never  did  pagan  Rome  excel  professedly  Christian 
Rome  in  these  particulars.   The  papacy  is  the  fountain- 
head,  the  source  of  these  abominations,  which  from  the 
Roman  metropolis,  extend  almost  to  the  whole  world.* 
This  woman  was  also  "  drunk  with  the  blood  of 
saints  and  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus."     It  it  said  of  the 
"little  horn,"  in  Daniel's  vision,  that  "he  made  war 
upon  the  saints  and  prevailed  against  them."     We 
have  already  mentioned,  that  this  "little  horn"  was  a 
type  of  the  papal  state,  while  this  woman  is  a  type 
of  the  papal  church.   In  popery,  however,  both  church 
and  state  are  employed,  in  the  work  of  persecution. 
The  spiritual  court  first  tries  and  condemns  the  crimi- 
nal ;  he  is  then  delivered  over  to  the  civil  authority 
to  be  executed.     The  venerable  council  first  deter- 
mines upon  a  crusade  ;  the  next  step  is,  the  enlistment 
in  the  enterprise,  of  the  kings  and  potentates  of  the 
earth.   In  this  way  has  the  papal  church  been  "  drunken 
with  the  blood  of  saints."     And  has  not  this  predic- 
tion been  fulfilled,  to  the  very  letter  fulfilled?  "Not 
to  mention,"  says  Bishop  Newton,  "  other  outrage- 
ous slaughters  and  barbarities,  the  crusades  against 
the  Waldenses  and  Albigenses,  the  murders  commit- 
ted by  the  duke  of  Alva  in  the  Netherlands,  the  mas- 
sacres in  France  and  Ireland,  will  probably  amount 
to  ten  times  the  number  of  all  the  Christians  slain,  in 
all  the  ten  persecutions  of  the  Roman  emperors  put 
together."!     The  same  sentiment  is  expressed   by 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  B.  +  On  Proph.  571. 

15 


162  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

Gibbon  as  we  shall  see  hereafter  in  his  history  of  the 
Roman  empire. 

Such  are  the  correspondencies  between  "  the  woman 
arrayed  in  purple  and  scarlet,"  and  the  papal  church. 
Evidently  then,  the  one  is  the  type  of  the  other.  But 
if  so,  the  city  of  Rome  itself  was  to  be  the  spot  where 
that  antichristian  power  was  to  be  enthroned  upon 
the  nations  of  Europe. 

That  Rome  is  the  head  of  the  papal  world,  and  that  a 
great  autocrat  has  been  presiding  there  for  many  cen- 
turies past,  are  facts  of  general  notoriety;  indeed  it  is 
fundamental  in  the  whole  papal  scheme,  that  the  seven- 
hilled  city  should  be  the  metropolis  of  this  strange  and 
wonderful  empire.  Should  Rome  be  displaced,  the 
whole  fabric  would  fall.  Hence  the  seventy  years, 
during  which,  through  the  influence  of  the  French 
kings,  the  popes  were  made  to  reside  at  Avignon,  are 
considered  by  all  good  Catholics,  as  a  Babylonish 
captivity. 

The  radical  doctrine  of  this  system,  as  expressed  by 
the  Florentine  Synod  is,  "  That  the  Apostolic  chair 
and  the  Roman  high  priest  doth  hold  a  primacy  over 
the  universal  church ;  and  that  the  Roman  high  priest 
is  the  successor  of  St.  Peter,  the  prince  of  the  Apos- 
tles ;  the  true  Lieutenant  of  Christ,  and^  the  Head  of 
the  Church;  that  he  is  the  Father  and  Doctor  of  Chris- 
tians; and  that  unto  him  in  St.  Peter,  full  power  is 
committed  to  feed,  and  direct  and  govern  the  Catholic 
church."* 

Daunau,  in  his  Court  of  Rome,  represents  this  as 
"a  controverted  point"  among  Roman  Catholics. — 
"Not  one  word,"  says  he,  "in  the  gospel,  nor  even 
in  the  writings  of  the  Apostles,  indicates  the  city  of 
Rome  as  the  indispensable  capital  of  Christendom."! 
This  is  very  true;  but  it  is  neither  the  doctrine  nor-the 
practice  of  the  Romish  Church.  "  That  the  primacy 
of  the  Church  is  of  divine  right,"  says  Dens,  "and  that 
this  primacy  should  continue  in  the  Roman  bishop,  or 
pope,  are  points  that  are  considered  settled  in  the 

*  Barrow.  t  P.  155. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  163 

faith."*  This  doctrine  may  be  briefly  expressed  thus: 
Christ  delegated  his  authority  to  Peter;  Peter  estab- 
lished his  seat  at  Rome ;  upon  his  decease,  he  trans- 
ferred his  office  to  a  Roman  successor :  hence  these 
Roman  successors  of  the  Apostle,  are,  to  the  end  of 
the  world,  the  vicegerents  of  Christ,  and  the  head  of 
his  Church.  In  all  this,  locality  at  Rome  is  essential. 
Withdraw  that  idea,  and  the  primacy  falls. 

It  need  not  be  mentioned  here,  upon  how  many 
false  premises  this  doctrine  is  based.  It  need  not  be 
affirmed,  that  Peter  held  no  office  higher  than  the 
other  Apostles.  It  need  not  be  asserted,  that  the  very 
peculiar  offices  of  Christ,  could  not  be  conferred  on 
Peter,  or  on  any  <3ther.  It  need  not  be  maintained, 
that  Peter's  office,  as  Apostle,  could  not  be  transferred 
to  Linus.  It  need  not  be  stated,  that  the  New  Testa- 
ment does  not  even  allude  to  the  fact,  that  Peter  ever 
saw  Rome.  It  need  not  be  suggested,  that  Eusebius, 
when  mentioning  the  visit  of  Peter  to  Rome,  although 
he  refers  to  his  labours  and  martyrdom,  says  not  a 
word  about  his  primacy  in  that  city.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  assume  the  ground,  that  for  three  or  four  cen- 
turies after  the  martyrdom  of  Peter,  the  Roman  See 
exercised  no  special  sovereignty  over  the  general 
Church.  These  things  need  not  here  be  affirmed.  It 
is  enough  to  fulfil  the  prophecy  under  consideration, 
that  the  reverse  of  all  this  has  been  maintained;  an£ 
that  upon  these  false  premises,  a  potentate  of  extra- 
ordinary character,  wearing  at  once  mitre  and  crown, 
wielding  together  sword  and  Bible,  presiding  alike 
over  politics  and  religion;  it  is  enough,  we  say,  that 
such  a  potentate  has  for  ages,  and  in  the  face  of  the 
whole  world,  occupied  his  seat  upon  the  ashes  of  old 
Rome.  Had  the  supreme  pontiff  of  Christendom  been 
located  any  where  else;  had  he  lived  at  Alexandria, 
Jerusalem,  Paris,  or  London;  had  he  been  further 
removed  from  the  power-spot  of  the  old  empire — 
there  had  at  least,  been  one  argument  less  in  estab- 
lishing his  antichristian  character.     But,  by  an  awful 

*  Thcol.  c.  xxiv. 


164  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

infatuation,  and  with  a  pertinacity  bordering  on  mad- 
ness, the  great  father  of  Christians  has  taken  his  seat, 
just  where  it  was  predicted  beforehand  that  Antichrist 
should  reign ! 

We  employ  then  the  very  seat  and  chair  of  St. 
Peter,  the  ashes  of  old  Rome,  and  the  superstitions  of 
the  new,  the  Vatican,  the  Roman  tiara,  and  the  Roman 
crown,  Roman  bulls  and  Roman  interdicts,  Roman 
bibles  and  Roman  prayers;  we  urge  all  this  Romanism 
as  evidence  conclusive,  as  proof  irrefragable,  that  the 
Papacy  is  the  Antichrist  predicted  in  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures. The  seat  of  the  Pope  condemns  him,  and  the 
very  walls  of  the  "eternal  city,"  proclaim  his  anti- 
christian  character. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  165 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE   TIME   OF   ANTICHRIST. 


Not  only  the  seat,  but  the  time  of  Antichrist  is  "fore- 
told in  the  word  of  God.  True,  there  are  several 
events  which  strongly  indicate  the  rise  of  this  power, 
and  which  have  therefore  occasioned  a  variety  of 
opinions  among  the  learned,  as  to  the  precise  epoch 
of  its  commencement.  Like  the  various  edicts,  how- 
ever, of  the  Persian  kings,  from  which  the  seventy 
weeks  of  Daniel  have  been  calculated,  these  events 
are,  for  the  most  part,  so  near  to  each  other,  as  to 
leave  but  little,  if  any  doubt,  as  to  the  proper  appli- 
cation of  the  prophecies. 

Those  portions  of  Scripture  which  most  clearly 
designate  the  rise  of  Antichrist,  are  the  following. 
"I  considered  the  horns,"  says  Daniel,  "and  behold, 
there  came  up  among  them  another  little  horn,  before 
whom  there  were  three  of  the  first  horns  plucked 
up  by  the  roots."  Dan.  vii.  S.  In  explaining  the 
vision  to  the  prophet,  the  angel  said :  "  The  fourth 
beast  shall  be  the  fourth  kingdom  upon  earth.  And 
the  ten  horns  out  of  this  kingdom,  are  ten  kings  that 
shall  arise ;  and  another  shall  arise  after  them ;  and 
he  shall  be  diverse  from  the  first ;  and  he  shall  sub- 
due three  kingdoms."  Dan.  vii.  24.  The  Apostle 
Paul  also  says  concerning  the  same  power,  "And  now 
ye  know  what  withholdeth,  that  he  might  be  revealed 
in  his  time.  Only  he  who  now  letteth  will  let,  till  he 
be  taken  out  of  the  way.  And  then  shall  that  wicked 
be  revealed,  whom  the  Lord  shall  consume  with  the 
spirit  of  his  mouth;  and  shall  destroy  with  the  bright- 
ness of  his  coming."  2  Thes.  ii.  6-8.  In  explaining 
the  symbol  of  the  scarlet-coloured  beast  on  which  the 

15* 


166         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

woman  was  sitting,  the  angel  said  to  John  :  "  The 
beast  that  thou  sawest  was,  and  is  not,  and  shall 
ascend  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  go  into  perdi- 
tion. The  seven  heads  are  seven  mountains  on  which 
the  woman  sitteth.  And  these  are  seven  kings :  five 
are  fallen,  and  one  is,  and  the  other  is  not  yet  come  : 
and  when  he  cometh,  he  must  continue  a  short  space. 
And  the  beast  that  was  and  is  not,  even  he  is  the 
eighth,  and  is  of  the  seven  ;  and  goeth  into  perdition. 
And  the  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest  are  ten  kings, 
which  have  received  no  kingdom  as  yet;  but  received 
power  as  kings  one  hour  with  the  beast.  These  have 
one  mind  and  shall  give  their  power  and  strength  unto 
the  beast.  For  God  hath  put  in  their  hearts  to  fulfil 
his  will,  and  to  agree,  and  give  their  kingdom  unto 
the  beast  until  the  words  of  God  shall  be  fulfill- 
ed." Rev.  xvii.  The  following  passage  is  also  be- 
lieved by  some  writers  on  prophecy  to  mark  more 
definitely  than  any  of  the  preceding,  the  precise 
period  of  the  rise  of  Antichrist.  "And  they  (the 
saints)  shall  be  given  unto  his  hand,  until  a  time, 
times  and  the  dividing  of  time."  Dan.  vii.  25. 

That  the  eleventh,  or  little  horn  of  Daniel,  the 
wicked  power,  or  man  of  sin  of  Paul,  and  the  eighth 
king  or  the  beast  of  John,  all  refer  to  the  same  thing, 
is  generally  conceded  by  commentators,  and  must 
appear  evident  to  any  one  who  carefully  considers 
these  prophetic  symbols.  Daniel's  little  horn  arose 
among  the  ten  horns  upon  the  head  of  the  fourth 
beast,  the  symbol  of  the  Roman  empire.  Paul's  man 
of  sin  was  to  arise  when  that  empire  ceased  to  "let;" 
or,  when  "  it  was  taken  out  of  the  way."  And  John's 
eighth  king  or  beast,  was  that  peculiar  power  which 
should  succeed  the  seventh  form  of  government  at 
Rome.  As,  therefore,  the  little  horn,  the  man  of 
sin,  and  the  eighth  king,  were  all  predicted  to  arise 
about  the  same  time;  as  they  were  all  to  succeed  im- 
perial Rome,  and  as  similar  characteristics  are  ascribed 
to  them  all,  they  must  mean  the  same  thing. 

But  there  is  another  reason  for  this  conclusion, 
equally  strong.    Each  of  these  symbols  denoted  a 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  167 

power,  which  was  to  continue  the  same  length  of 
time.  The  little  horn  of  Daniel  was  to  continue  un- 
til "the  judgment  was  set,  and  his  dominion  was 
taken  away  to  be  consumed  and  destroyed  to  the 
end."  Dan.  vii.  26.  The  man  of  sin  was  to  exist  un- 
til he  should  become  the  son  of  perdition,  that  is,  un- 
til he  should  be  "  consumed  by  the  Lord,  and  destroy- 
ed by  the  brightness  of  his  coming."  2  Thess.  ii.  8. 
And  the  eighth  king,  or  the  beast  of  John,  was  that 
which  was  to  tyrannize  "  until  the  words  of  God 
should  be  fulfilled ;"  that  is,  until  the  twelve  hundred 
and  sixty  years,  so  often  alluded  to,  should  end;  and 
then  it  was  to  "go  into  perdition."  Rev.  xvii.  The 
"  little  horn,"  therefore,  "  the  man  of  sin,"  and  "  the 
beast,"  were  not  only  to  begin,  but  they  were  to  end 
at  the  same  time;  viz.  at  some  future  coming  of 
Christ.     This  also  proves  that  they  are  the  same. 

As  this  is  a  point  of  some  importance  in  our  future 
calculations,  it  will  not  be  amiss  to  introduce  here  the 
testimony  of  two  of  the  ancient  fathers.  Ireneeus  says : 
"Daniel,  respecting  the  end  of  the  last  kingdom,  that 
is,  the  last  ten  kings,  among  whom  that  kingdom 
should  be  divided,  upon  whom  the  son  of  perdition 
shall  come,  saith,  that  ten  horns  shall  grow  on  the 
beast,  and  another  little  horn  shall  grow  up  among 
them,  and  three  of  the  first  horns  shall  be  rooted  out 
before  him."  Of  whom  also,  Paul  the  Apostle  speak- 
eth  in  his  second  Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians,  calling 
him  the  son  of  perdition,  and  ' the  wicked  one.'  St. 
John,  our  Lord's  disciple,  hath  in  the  Apocalypse  still 
more  plainly  signified  of  the  last  time,  and  of  these  ten 
kings,  among  whom  the  empire  that  now  reigneth 
shall  be  divided;  explaining  what  the  ten  horns  shall 
be  which  were  seen  by  Daniel."* 

The  following  is  the  statement  of  Cyril  of  Jerusa- 
lem in  the  fourth  century :  "  The  first  kingdom  that  was 
made  famous  was  the  kingdom  of  the  Assyrians:  and 
the  second  was  that  of  the  Medes  and  Persians  toge- 
ther; and  after  these  the  third  was  that  of  the  Mace- 

*  Iren.  1,  5. 


168         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

donians;  and  the  fourth  kingdom  is  now  that  of  the 
Romans.  Afterwards,  Gabriel  interpreting,  saith,  Its 
ten  horns  are  ten  kings  that  shall  arise;  and  after  them 
shall  arise  another  king,  who  shall  exceed  in  wicked- 
ness all  before  him:  not  only  the  ten,  he  saith,  but  all 
who  were  before  him.  And  he  shall  depress  three 
kings.  But  it  is  manifest  that  of  the  first  ten  he  shall 
depress  three,  that  he  himself  might  reign  the  eighth."* 
These  quotations  will  show  that  the  interpretation 
above  given  is  neither  modern  nor  protestant,  but  an- 
cient and  patristic. 

Admitting,  then,  that  these  various  symbols  desig- 
nate the  same  power,  there  are  several  strong  marks 
furnished  in  these  prophecies  for  ascertaining  the  pe- 
riod when  that  power  should  arise. 

1.  The  first  of  these  is,  the  dissolution  of  the  west- 
ern Roman  empire.  The  propriety  of  restricting  these 
prophecies  to  the  western  empire  will  appear  from 
the  following  judicious  remarks  of  Sir  Isaac  New- 
ton: "All  the  four  beasts  are  still  alive,  though  the  do- 
minion of  the  three  first  be  taken  away.  The  nations 
of  Chaldea  and  Assyria  are  still  the  first  beast.  Those 
of  Media  and  Persia  are  still  the  second  beast.  Those 
of  Macedon,  Greece,  and  Thrace,  Asia  Minor,  Syria, 
and  Egypt,  are  still  the  third.  And  those  of  Europe 
on  this  side  Greece,  are  still  the  fourth."!  As  there- 
fore the  prophecies  refer  to  the  fourth,  and  not  to  the 
other  three  beasts,  our  business  is  with  the  Latin  and 
not  with  the  Greek  empire.  Now  it  was  some  time 
after  this  Latin  or  western  empire  was  subverted,  that 
the  man  of  sin,  according  to  Paul,  was  to  make  his 
appearance.  When  he  that  was  then  letting  (**™x™) 
should  be  taken  out  of  the  way,  "then  shall  that  wick- 
ed be  revealed." 

The  western  empire  was  overthrown  by  those  nor- 
thern barbarians,  whose  ravages  are  so  significantly 
exhibited  in  the  8th  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse,  under 
the  sounding  of  the  first  four  trumpets.  Alaric  and 
his  Goths  besieged  and  plundered  Rome  about  the 

*  Cyrilli  Hieros  Catcch.  15,  c.  6.  t  Observations  on  Daniel. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  169 

year  410.  Attila  and  his  Huns  devastated  a  great  part 
of  the  empire  and  invaded  Italy  about  the  year  452. 
In  455,  Genseric,  king  of  the  Vandals,  not  only  cap- 
tured but  pillaged  Rome,  for  the  space  of  fourteen 
days.  And  about  the  year  476,  Odoacer,  king  of  the 
Ostrogoths,  terminated  the  imperial  authority  at  Rome, 
by  the  conquest  of  the  city,  and  the  banishment  of 
Augustulus  to  the  castle  of  Lucullus,  on  an  annuity 
of  six  thousand  pieces  of  gold.*  Now  it  was,  that 
"  the  third  part  of  the  Roman  sun  was  smitten,  and 
the  third  part  of  the  moon,  and  the  third  part  of  the 
stars."  Rev.  viii.  12.  Antichrist  then,  according  to 
Paul,  was  not  to  arise  till  some  time  after  the  year  476 
or  479,  as  the  event  above  alluded  to  is  differently  es- 
timated. 

2.  A  second  epoch,  furnished  us  in  the  prophecy,  is 
the  time  when  the  western  empire  was  succeeded  by 
ten  new  kingdoms.  The  beast  had  ten  horns,  and 
these  horns  were  the  symbols  of  ten  kingdoms.  Anti- 
christ, however,  was  not  to  arise  at  the  same  time 
precisely  with  these  kingdoms,  but  shortly  afterwards; 
"and  another  shall  arise  after  them." 

The  following  is  a  list  of  these  ten  European  king- 
doms, given  by  Bishop  Lloyd,  together  with  the  dates 
of  each:  Huns,  about  356;  Ostrogoths,  377;  Visi- 
goths, 378;  Franks,  407;  Vandals,  407;  Sueves  and 
Alans,  407;  Burgundians,  407;  Herules  and  Rugians, 
476;  Saxons,  476;  Lombards  in  Hungary,  526;  in 
Germany,  483."t  According  to  these  calculations, 
the  rise  of  Antichrist  cannot  precede  the  year  483  or 
526. 

3.  Another  mark  by  which  the  time  of  Antichrist 
is  designated,  is  when  Rome  should  be  under  its 
eighth  form  of  government.  "  And  there  are  seven 
kings:  five  are  fallen,  and  one  is,  and  the  other  is  not 
yet  come,  and  when  he  cometh,  he  must  continue  a 
short  space.  And  the  beast  that  was  and  is  not,  even 
he  is  the  eighth,  and  is  of  the  seven,  and  goeth  into 
perdition." 

*  Gibbon's  Rome.  t  Newton  on  Proph.,  Dis.  xiv. 


170         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

The  expression  here  used,  "  the  beast  that  was  and 
is  not,"  is  thus  interpreted  by  Bishop  Newton :  "A 
beast  in  a  prophetic  style  is  a  tyrannical  idolatrous 
empire.  The  Roman  empire  was  idolatrous  under 
the  heathen  emperors ;  it  then  ceased  to  be  so  for 
some  time  under  the  Christian  emperors;  it  then  be- 
came idolatrous  again  under  the  Roman  pontiffs,  and 
so  hath  continued  ever  since."*  The  beast  then  "that 
was  and  is  not,"  denotes  Rome  imperial  in  its  three 
successive  conditions  of  Rome  pagan,  Rome  Christian, 
and  Rome  papal.  Rome  papal  is  that  which  the  angel 
terms  the  eighth,  and  which  he  says,  "is  of  the  seven" 
— «*  toiv  i?rTA  srrt.  This  last  expression  is  rendered  by 
Doddridge  thus,  "  he  ariseth  out  of  the  remainders  of 
this  people."  The  correct  interpretation,  however, 
seems  to  be,  that  he  is  to  succeed  the  seven  in  a  regu- 
lar line  ;  he  is  to  arise  from  them.  But  where  shall 
we  find  the  eight  successive  Roman  sovereignties,  re- 
ferred to  by  the  Apostle?  According  to  most  commen- 
tators, in  the  kings,  consuls,  dictators,  decemvirs,  mili- 
tary tribunes,  emperors,  t  exarchs,  and  popes,  by 
which  Rome  has  been  governed.  Rome  was  origi- 
nally governed  by  kings  for  more  than  two  hundred 
years.  It  was  then  under  the  control  of  consuls,  dic- 
tators, decemvirs,  and  military  tribunes,  about  the 
space  of  five  hundred  and  thirty  years.  The  reign 
of  the  emperors  lasted  about  five  hundred,  and  that 
of  the  exarchs  about  two  hundred.  There  are  some 
writers,  who  prefer  to  substitute  the  Italian  Gothic 
kingdom,  which  lasted  over  sixty  years,  in  the  place 
of  the  exarchate ;  considering  the  latter  as  the  instru- 
ment merely  of  the  sixth  or  imperial  government.  It 
is  quite  certain,  however,  from  history,  that  the  Pope 
did  not  begin  to  exercise  political  power,  until  the 
overthrow  in  Italy  of  the  exarchate. 

This  event  occurred  under  very  peculiar  circum- 
stances. The  emperor  Leo  the  Third,  usually  termed 
the  iconoclast,  had  ordered  all  sacred  images,  and 
figures  to  be  removed  from  Christian  churches.    Gre- 

*  On  Proph.  Dis.  xxv.  t  Tacitus  i.  1. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  171 

gory  the  second,  who  then  filled  the  papal  chair, 
wrote  him  a  letter  of  severe  remonstrance.  Among 
other  things,  we  find  the  following  sentiments  in  this 
papal  epistle.  Advocating  the  use  of  pictures  and 
images,  he  says,  "The  idols  of  antiquity  were  the 
fanciful  representations  of  phantoms  or  demons,  at  a 
time,  when  the  true  God  had  not  manifested  his  per- 
son, in  any  visible  likeness.  The  latter  are  the  ge- 
nuine forms  of  Christ,  his  mother  and  his  saints,  who 
have  approved,  by  a  crowd  of  miracles,  the  innocence 
and  merit  of  this  relative  worship."  In  censuring 
Leo  for  rebelling  against  papal  authority,  he  says: 
"Are  you  ignorant  that  the  popes  are  the  bond  of 
union,  the  mediators  of  peace  between  the  east  and 
the  west  ?  The  eyes  of  the  nations  are  fixed  upon  our 
humility,  and  they  revere  as  a  God  upon  earth  the 
Apostle  St.  Peter,  whose  image  you  threaten  to  de- 
stroy. The  remote  and  interior  regions  of  the  west 
present  their  homage  to  Christ  and  his  vicegerent. 
Abandon  your  rash  and  fatal  enterprise,  reflect,  trem- 
ble, repent.  If  you  persist,  we  are  innocent  of  the 
blood  that  will  be  spilt  in  the  contest:  may  it  fall  on 
your  own  head."* 

Matters  soon  came  to  a  crisis.  By  the  counsel  and 
authority  of  Gregory,  the  Exarchate  was  armed  against 
the  emperor ;  the  exarch  who  espoused  the  cause  of 
Leo,  was  killed  by  popular  fury.  A  battle  was  soon 
fought  between  the  army  of  the  emperor  and  that  of 
the  pope.  The  latter  was  victorous.  "  The  strangers," 
says  Gibbon,  "retreated  to  their  ships;  but  the  popu- 
lous sea-coast  poured  forth  a  multitude  of  boats;  the 
waters  of  the  Po  were  so  deeply  infected  with  blood, 
that  during  six  years  the  public  prejudice  abstained 
from  the  fish  of  the  river;  and  the  institution  of  an 
annual  feast  perpetuated  the  worship  of  images,  and 
the  abhorrence  of  the  Greek  tyrant.  Amidst  the  tri- 
umph of  the  catholic  arms,  the  Roman  pontiff  Gregory 
III.,  convened  a  synod  of  ninety-three  bishops  against 
the  heresy  of  the  iconoclasts.     With  their  consent,  he 

*  Gibb.  xlix. 


172         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

pronounced  a  general  excommunication  against  all, 
who  by  word  or  deed,  should  attack  the  traditions  of 
the  fathers,  and  the  images  of  the  saints."  * 

Surely  here  are  events,  which  seem  almost  pre- 
cisely to  fulfil  the  predictions  of  John.  A  Roman 
bishop,  not  only  reprimanding  an  emperor,  and  ac- 
knowledging, that  he  receives  through  St,  Peter,  co- 
ordinately  with  Christ,  the  homage  of  the  nations;  not 
only  considering  himself  as  the  bond  of  union  between 
the  east  and  the  west,  but  actually  arming  his  sub- 
jects for  battle,  fighting,  conquering  !  And  for  what  ? 
To  establish  the  worship  of  images !  To  declare  as 
heretics,  all  who  should  renounce  such  worship !  Does 
not  this  look  like  the  literal  revival  of  the  sixth  or 
idolatrous  beast?  Does  it  not  occur,  too,  at  the  proper 
period  ?  The  seven  preceding  administrations  had  all 
passed  away.  The  imperial  arm  was  broken ;  the 
exarchate  subverted.  Surely  then,  this  was  the  time, 
this  the  occasion  for  the  rise  of  the  eighth  Roman 
power,  or  "  the  beast." 

The  author  above  quoted,  gives  the  following  ac- 
count of  the  new  organization,  which  succeeded  the 
Exarchate.  "  By  the  necessity  of  their  situation,  the 
inhabitants  of  Rome  were  cast  into  the  rough  model 
of  a  republican  government:  they  were  compelled  to 
elect  some  judges  in  peace  and  some  leaders  in  war. 
The  style  of  the  Roman  senate  and  people  was  re- 
vived, but  the  spirit  was  fled.  The  want  of  laws 
could  only  be  supplied  by  the  influence  of  religion, 
and  their  foreign  and  domestic  counsels  were  modera- 
ted by  the  authority  of  the  bishop.  His  alms,  his 
sermons,  his  correspondence  with  the  kings  and  pre- 
lates of  the  west,  his  recent  services,  their  gratitude 
and  oath,  accustomed  the  Romans  to  consider  him  as 
the  first  magistrate  or  prince  of  the  city.  The  Christian 
humility  of  the  popes  too,  was  not  offended  by  the  name 
of  Dominus,  or  Lord  ;  and  their  face  and  inscription 
are  still  apparent  on  the  most  ancient  coins." t 

The  termination  of  the  Exarchate  and  the  establish- 

*  Gib.  xlix.  t  Ibidem. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  173 

ment  of  political  power  in  the  hands  of  the  Popes, 
occurred  about  the  year  730.  True,  the  exercise  of 
such  power  was  disturbed  by  the  Lombards,  their 
former  allies.  The  interference  however,  of  the 
French  kings  soon  subdued  these  troublesome  neigh- 
bours, and  secured  the  popes  in  the  privileges,  which 
by  rebellion  and  war,  they  had  obtained.* 

4.  A  fourth  sign  of  the  rise  of  Antichrist  is,  the  sub- 
jugation or  rooting  up  of  three  of  the  ten  kingdoms, 
in  the  midst  of  which  he  was  to  arise — *  before  whom 
there  were  three  of  the  first  horns  plucked  up  by  the 
roots."  The  following  extract  from  Professor  Gaus- 
sen,  will  sufficiently  illustrate  this  point.  "  Take 
now,"  says  he,  "  the  map  of  Italy,  and  look  for  the 
dominions  of  the  Pope;  and  see  of  how  many  of  the 
ten  first  kingdoms,  the  pontifical  territory  occupies 
the  site  at  this  day.  You  will  see  that  it  has  sup- 
planted these  three;  the  Herules,  the  Ostrogoths,  and 
the  Lombards.  And  go  to  Rome  itself,  and  see  the 
Pontiff  on  the  banks  of  the  Tyber  in  all  his  sovereign 
pomp,  trampling  under  foot  the  ashes  of  Romulus  in 
the  Basilica  of  St.  Peter's,  or  in  his  own  palace  of  the 
Vatican.  You  will  see  on  his  brow  that  Babylonish 
tiara,  surmounted  by  the 'three  crowns  of  the  three 
horns,  "plucked  up  by  the  roots  before  him;"  those 
of  Odoacer,  Theodoric,  and  of  Alboin,  he  the  only 
king  in  the  world  who  wears  this  prophetic  head- 
dress."! 

These  three  kingdoms  virtually  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Pope,  when  the  Exarchate  was  wrested  from 
the  eastern  emperor.  The  northern  portion  of  this 
Exarchate  however,  being  invaded  by  the  Lombards, 
a  fit  occasion  was  furnished,  for  the  interposition  of 
some  foreign  prince.  This  prince  was  Pepin,  king  of 
the  French.  The  Pope  had  confirmed  a  doubtful 
sovereignty  on  Pepin  and  his  descendants.  To  re- 
ward him  for  this  service,  as  well  as  to  atone  for  his 
personal  sins,  the  son  of  Martel  invaded  Lombardy, 
and  compelled  Astolphus  to  transfer  his  territory  to 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  C.  t  Geneva  and  Rome. 

16 


174         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

the  occupant  of  the  chair  of  St.  Peter.  This  event 
occurred  in  the  year  754.  "  The  Pontiff,"  says  Dau- 
nau,  "  Stephen  II.,  enters  France,  and  there  as  mi- 
nister of  the  Greek  emperor,  gives  in  753  to  Pepin 
and  to  his  sons  the  title  of  Roman  Patrician,  which 
Charles  Martel  had  borne  before  him;  and  receives, 
it  is  said,  in  exchange,  the  gift  of  the  provinces  which 
Astolphus  occupied  and  which  the  Emperor  claimed. 
In  754,  Pepin  crossed  the  Alps,  besieged  Pavia,  and 
forced  Astolphus,  to  promise  the  restoration  of  the 
Exarchate  and  the  Pentapolis,  not  to  the  emperor  of 
Constantinople,  but  to  St.  Peter,  to  the  church,  and 
the  Roman  republic."*  Gibbon  speaks  of  this  grant 
in  the  following  language: — "  The  splendid  donation 
was  granted  in  supreme  and  absolute  dominion;  and 
the  world  beheld  for  the  first  time  a  Christian  bishop 
invested  with  the  prerogatives  of  a  temporal  prince ; 
the  choice  of  magistrates,  the  exercise  of  justice,  the 
imposition  of  taxes,  and  the  wealth  of  the  palace  of 
Ravenna."t 

It  is  wonderful  how  ingeniously,  and  how  gra- 
dually the  successor  of  St.  Peter  became  possessed  of 
his  temporal  estates  and  influence.  When  the  Exar- 
chate fell,  deference  was  still  paid  to  the  eastern  em- 
peror; the  new  government,  too,  was  made  to  assume 
a  sort  of  republican  aspect,  and  was  controlled  at  first 
only  indirectly  by  the  Pope.  Even  after  the  grant, 
too,  of  the  French  kings,  those  kings  held  the  title  of 
Patricians  of  Rome !  "  Such  a  course"  says  Daunau, 
8?  was  in  fact  a  method  of  entering  furtively  into  the 
number  of  independent  states,  and  of  attenuating  more 
and  more  the  thread  by  which  the  Popes  were  con- 
nected with  the  Byzantine  empire.  Commonly,  the 
Pope  did  not  fill  the  first  magistracy  of  this  republic. 
He  abandoned  the  insignia  of  power  to  a  prefect,  a 
duke,  or  to  a  patrician;  and  prepared  himself  to  sub- 
stantiate soon,  for  undecisive  forms,  a  definite  and  pon- 
tifical form  of  government."^:     This  mode  of  obtaining 

*  Court  of  Rome,  i.  t  Rome,  eh.  xlix. 

t  Court  of  Rome. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  175 

political  power,  is  what  some  understand  by  the  little 
horn's  rising  "  after,"  that  is  behind,  or  unobserved 
by,  the  other  ten  kingdoms. 

5.  A  fifth  sign  of  the  rise  of  Antichrist  is,  the  de- 
liverance into  his  hand  of  the  saints  of  the  Most  High. 
"  And  they  shall  be  given  into  his  hand,  until  a  time, 
times  and  the  dividing  of  time."  "  For  God  hath  put 
in  their  hearts  to  fulfil  his  will,  and  to  agree,  and  give 
their  kingdom  unto  the  beast,  until  the  words  of  God 
shall  be  fulfilled." 

There  are  two  methods  in  which  the  saints  may  be 
delivered  into  the  hand  of  Antichrist.  The  one  is,  by 
"constituting  him  the  sole  head  of  the  church;  the 
other  is,  by  subjecting  political  governments  to  his 
will,  so  that  they  shall  execute  the  anathemas  which 
he  from  time  to  time  may  pronounce.  In  both  of 
these  ways  have  the  people  of  God  been  delivered 
into  the  hand  of  the  Papacy. 

The  time  when  the  Pope  was  constituted  the  sole 
head  of  the  church,  has,  by  many,  been  computed 
from  the  edict  of  the  emperor  Phocas  in  606.  The 
following  is  the  statement  of  Baronius  on  that  subject. 
"  Hinc  igitur,  anno  Christi  606,  in  Cyriacum  Phocas 
exacerbatus  in  ejus  odium  imperiali  edicto  sancivit, 
nomen  universalis  decere  Romanam  tantummodo 
ecclesiam,  tanquam  quae  caput  esset  omnium  eccle- 
siarum;  solique  convenire  Pontifici."  u  Hence,  there- 
fore, in  the  year  606,  Phocas  provoked  with  Cyriacus, 
through  hatred  to  him  confirmed  by  an  imperial  edict, 
that  the  name  universal  became  the  Roman  church 
only,  as  that  which  was  the  head  of  all  the  churches; 
and  could  only  be  properly  ascribed  to  the  Pontiff." 

Hallam,  in  a  note  appended  to  his  Middle  Ages, 
for  several  reasons  which  he  specifies,  gives  it  as  his 
opinion,  that  too  much  importance  has  been  ascribed 
by  many  writers  to  this  testimony  of  Baronius.  He 
believes,  that  the  edict  of  Valentinian  III.  in  455,  can 
be  better  authenticated,  and  is  more  to  the  point  than 
this  of  Phocas.    It  may,  however,  be  questioned,  whe- 

*  Ecclc.  An.  Anno  606. 


176         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

ther  either  Phocas,  or  Valentinian,  or  any  other  empe- 
ror, had  either  the  right  or  the  power  to  deliver  the 
saints  into  the  hands  of  the  Papacy.  Though  joined 
to  the  state,  still  the  church  had,  even  in  those  ages, 
much  power  of  her  own.  Such,  too,  was  the  influence 
of  bishops  and  of  ecclesiastical  institutions,  that  we 
doubt,  whether  the  will  of  any  one  emperor  could 
have  brought  the  church  into  absolute  subjection. 
Nor  could  the  edict  of  one  emperor  be  perpetual:  it 
might  be  abrogated  even  in  the  next  reign.  The  pro- 
phecy evidently  requires,  that  this  subjection  should 
be  the  result  of  many  and  conspiring  providential 
causes.  The  spirit  of  the  age  must  be  such,  the  in-* 
struction  of  the  people  such,  their  passive  submission 
such,  and  even  their  apparent  necessities  such,  as  to 
lead  to  a  result  of  this  kind.  The  bishop  of  Rome 
was  to  be  constituted  the  sole  head  of  the  church, 
not  by  any  one  arbitrary  act,  but  by  the  general  con- 
sent of  Christendom,  arising  from  the  existing  state  of 
the  world.  The  matter  of  inquiry  then  becomes,  not 
who  did  it,  but  when  have  we  evidence,  that  the 
Church  became  subject  to  the  Roman  bishop  as  its 
supreme  head? 

The  prophecies  require,  that  the  spiritual  and  tem- 
poral power  of  Antichrist  should  begin  at  the  same 
time.  The  "  beast"  was  to  rule  the  nations,  during 
the  same  period  that  he  was  to  oppress  the  church. 
Nor  is  there  any  distinction  made  in  the  vision  of 
Daniel,  between  the  duration  of  the  temporal  and  spi- 
ritual power  of  the  "little  horn.".  They  appear  to  be 
contemporaneous.  If,  too,  the  spiritual  power  of  Anti- 
christ should  be  dated  from  one  period, and  his  temporal 
power  from  another,  then  would  there  be  two  periods 
of  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years,  during  which  he 
was  to  exist !  It  is  evident,  however,  that  this  pro- 
phetic age  of  the  beast  and  little  horn,  is  to  extend 
over  but  one  such  period.  The  spiritual  and  tempo- 
ral power,  therefore,  of  Antichrist,  must  begin  and 
end  at  the  same  time. 

We  have  already  noticed,  that  the  temporal  and 
political  power  of  the  popes,  began  at  the  time  when 


THE  ANTICHRIST.  177 

these  pontiffs  cast  off  their  allegiance  to  the  eastern 
emperors.  The  cause  of  this  rebellion  was  image- 
worship.  The  emperor  prohibited  the  worship  of 
images  as  idolatry;  the  popes  maintained  the  pro- 
priety of  such  worship  as  sanctioned  by  tradition  and 
miracles.  This  was  the  point  at  issue  between  them; 
and  it  was  the  means  of  severing  for  ever  the  tie 
which  bound  the  bishops  of  Rome  to  the  court  of 
Byzantium. 

The  result  in  this  case,  however,  was  not  simply 
political;  it  was  also  religious.  If  the  bishop  of  Rome 
was  bound  as  a  subject  to  obey  the  court  of  Constan- 
tinople, much  more  was  he  bound  as  a  Christian  to 
keep  the  commandments  of  God.  These  command- 
ments, however,  forbid  image-worship  in  every  form. 
The  law  is  express,  and  often  repeated.  At  the  same 
time,  therefore,  that  the  Pope  set  up  a  political  su- 
premacy for  himself,  did  he  erect  also,  an  independent 
spiritual  dominion. 

We  invite  particular  attention  to  this  remarkable 
coincidence.  In  the  Apocalypse  it  is  said,  "And  the 
beast  is  the  eighth,  and  is  of  the  seven,  and  goeth  into 
perdition."  The  easiest  and  most  natural  construc- 
tion of  this  passage  is  the  following:  "The  beast  will 
be  the  eighth  power  at  Rome;  he  will  immediately 
succeed  the  seven  preceding  powers;  and  he  will  con- 
tinue till  Rome  shall  have  no  government  at  all:  the 
power-line,  the  Roman  succession,  will  end  in  him. 
When,  then,  did  the  Roman  pastor  or  bishop  become 
the  "  beast?"  Precisely  then,  when  he  began  to  wield 
a  political  and  an  idolatrous  sceptre.  Now,  this  event 
took  place,  when  the  popes,  by  rebellion  against  the 
eastern  court,  set  up  virtually  a  kingdom  of  their  own 
upon  the  basis  of  idolatry.  Then  were  the  founda- 
tions of  the  Apocalyptic  Babylon  laid;  then  did  Rome 
become  "  the  mother  of  harlots,  and  abominations  of 
the  earth."  This  event  occurred  near  the  middle  of 
the  eighth  century. 

But  to  place  the  saints  effectually  in  the  hands  of 
Antichrist,  it  was  necessary,  that  the  political  govern- 
ments of  Europe  should  also   be  under  his  control. 

16* 


178  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

Without  this  he  could  not  enforce  his  will  as  law 
throughout  the  Christian  world.  As  a  local  prince,  he 
might  rule  his  own  Italian  subjects.  As  the  accredited 
head  of  ecclesiastical  polity,  he  might  have  influence 
in  the  church.  But  to  render  his  authority  absolute 
and  universal,  the  independence  of  states  must  bow 
to  his  will,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  stand  ready  to 
execute  his  pleasure. 

And  here  again,  we  are  called  upon  to  notice  the 
extraordinary  fact,  that  just  about  the  time  that  the 
popes  became  independent  princes,  and  began  also 
to  exercise  superior  spiritual  control,  a  sort  of  impe- 
rial power  fell  into  their  hands.  The  crown  was 
transferred  from  Childeric  to  Pepin,  but  a  year  or 
two  before  the  Pope  was  made  supreme  proprietor  of 
Lombardy! 

At  some  period  then,  between  the  rupture  of  the 
Pope  with  Leo  III.,  and  his  decision  in  the  case  of 
Pepin,  that  is,  somewhere  between  the  year  730  and 
753,  we  may  safely  locate  the  rise  of  the  political, 
imperial,  and  supreme  spiritual  power  of  the  popes. 

As  further  proof  of  this,  it  may  be  proper  here  to 
notice  the  decisions  of  two  ecclesiastical  councils, 
which  sat  within  or  near  this  period.  By  the  coun- 
cil of  Francfort,  A.  D.  742,  it  was  decreed,  "  that  as 
a  token  of  their  willing  subjection  to  the  See  of  Rome, 
all  Metropolitans  should  request  the  pallium  at  the 
hands  of  the  Pope,  and  obey  his  lawful  commands."* 
"In  the  second  Nicene  council,  says  Mosheim,  held  in 
the  year  786,  "  the  imperial  laws  against  the  new 
idolatry  were  abrogated,  the  decrees  of  the  council  of 
Constantinople  reversed,  the  worship  of  images  and 
the  cross  restored,  and  severe  punishments  denoun- 
ced against  such  as  maintained  that  God  was  the  only 
object  of  religious  adoration. "t  The  object  of  this 
council  was,  to  suppress  in  the  east,  as  had  already 
been  done  in  the  west,  all  opposition  to  image- worship. 
Surely  this  looks  as  if  the  saints,  all  who  abhorred 
idolatry,  had  now  been  given  into  the  hand  of  the 

*  Middle  Ages,  xvii.  t  Ccn.  viii. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  179 

beast.      The  universal  law  was,  image-worship  or 
punishment,  idolatry  or  death. 

Thus  have  we  noticed  five  prophetic  marks  or 
evidences  of  the  rise  of  Antichrist.  This  malignant 
power  was  to  arise,  after  the  dissolution  of  the  west- 
ern Roman  empire.  It  was  to  arise  among  the  ten 
new  kingdoms,  by  which  that  empire  was  to  be  suc- 
ceeded. It  was  immediately  to  succeed  that  brief 
administration,  whatever  it  was,  Exarchate  or  Gothic 
kingdom,  which  was  to  constitute  the  seventh  form  of 
government  at  Rome.  In  its  rise,  it  was  to  root  up 
three  of  the  ten  kingdoms  around  it.  The  saints 
were  also  to  be  put  in  its  power,  for  a  period  of 
twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years.  Now,  these  events 
as  above  shown,  all  fall  within  the  compass  of  two 
hundred  and  seventy-eight  years;  this  being  the  space 
of  time  from  the  dethronement  of  Augustulus  to  the 
grant  of  Pepin.  Within  this  period  then,  are  we  to 
find  the  rise  of  Antichrist.  According  to  prophecy, 
his  rise  could  not  take  place  earlier,  nor  was  it  to  be 
later.  We  are  then  limited  to  this  period;  and  within 
it  somewhere,  are  we  to  find  the  origin  of  that  great 
enemy  to  the  church,  which  so  filled  the  minds  of 
Daniel,  of  Paul,  and  of  John.    - 

But  this  period  may  be  reduced  to  still  narrower 
limits.  The  dissolution  of  the  western  empire  was 
to  be  succeeded  by  another  political  power,  which 
was  "to  continue  a  short  space."  This  political 
power  must  be,  either  the  kingdom  of  Odoacer,  or 
the  Exarchate.  If  the  former,  then  are  sixty  years 
to  be  deducted  from  this  period;  if  the  latter,  two 
hundred  and  sixty.  We  have  already  assigned  rea- 
sons why  we  suppose  the  latter  to  be  meant.  This 
period  then,  will  be  narrowed  down  to  the  space  of 
twenty-four  years,  within  which  we  are  to  find  the 
rise  of  Antichrist.  This  short  period  extends  from  the 
year  730  to  754. 

What  power,  then  we  ask,  arose  within  this  period 
to  which  the  characteristics  of  Antichrist  may  be 
established?  Not  the  Mohammedan  surely.  Moham- 
med arose  in  Asia,  not  in  Europe ;  he  was  too,  an 


180  THE    PAPACY    PROVED    TO    BE 

enemy  to  idolatry,  not  its  patron ;  he  appeared  also 
in  the  seventh  century,  not  in  the  eighth.  Nor  can 
Autichrist  be  Pepin,  Charlemagne  or  any  of  the  French 
kings.  France  was  one  of  the  ten  horns  of  the  beast ; 
it  could  not  therefore  be  another  power  rising  among 
them.  Nor  have  we  any  evidence,  that  even  one  of 
the  traits  of  Antichrist  was  ever  developed  in  the 
character  of  these  kings !  Who  then  we  ask  is  Anti- 
christ ?  Let  history,  let  universal  history  reply.  He 
is  the  Pope.  No  other  answer  can  be  given.  It  was 
at  this  very  period,  that  the  Papacy  arose,  as  an  inde- 
pendent and  sovereign  power  in  Europe.  It  was  at 
this  very  time,  that  the  Pontifical  mitre  began  to  be 
seen  among  the  crowns  of  European  kings.  It  was 
precisely  here,  that  idolatry  was  set  up  again,  as  the 
religion  of  the  Roman  world. 

If  then,  Jacob's  prediction  concerning  Shiloh,  and 
the  seventy  weeks  of  Daniel,  are  evidence  conclu- 
sive, that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  Christ,  so  also 
are  the  predictions,  concerning  the  time  of  the  "  little 
horn,"  of  "  the  man  of  sin,"  and  of  "  the  beast," 
proofs  irrefragable,  that  the  Papacy  is  Antichrist. 
And  as  it  may  be  proved,  that  any  one  hereafter  pre- 
tending to  be  the  Messiah,  is  not  such,  because  he 
appears  out  of  time,  so  may  it  be  demonstrated,  that 
any  one  hereafter  who  may  be  thought  to  be  Anti- 
christ, is  not,  for  the  very  same  reason.  The  time,  then, 
as  well  as  the  place,  determines  the  antichristian  cha- 
racter of  the  papal  throne.  The  Pope  is  Antichrist, 
so  says  prophecy;  so  says  history;  so  says  his  own 
fully  developed  character. 


THE   ANTICHRIST.  181 

# 

CHAPTER  III. 

ANTICHRIST   A   PECULIAR   POWER. 

In  designating  the  person  of  Christ,  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures have  specified,  not  only  the  place  and  time  of 
his  birth,  but  have  also  furnished  certain  traits  of 
character,  by  which  he  might  be  distinguished  from 
all  others.  The  same  course  has  been  pursued  in  this 
holy  volume  in  its  description  of  Antichrist.  Not  only 
are  the  place  and  time  of  this  extroardinary  power 
given,  but  certain  peculiar  and  characteristic  marks 
are  furnished,  by  which  he  may  be  distinguished  from 
all  other  powers.  In  the  present  chapter,  it  is  our 
design  to  consider  the  peculiarity  of  the  power  of 
Antichrist ;  or,  some  of  those  things  in  which  he  dif- 
fers from  all  other  political  governments. 

In  explaining  to  Daniel  the  symbol  of  the  "  little 
horn,"  the  angel  said,  "he  shall  be  diverse  from  the 
rest."  Dan.  vii.  24.  As  the  word  which  is  here  ren- 
dered diverse  is  variously  translated,  it  will  be  proper, 
first  to  settle  its  import.  The  original  is — id  njb»  Nini 
*omp — and  he  shall  be  hated  more  than  the  first.  So 
the  word  is  literally  translated,  and  so  it  is  uniformly 
rendered  in  almost  every  instance  in  our  English  ver- 
sion.    The  seventy  have  rendered  the  passage  thus, 

a  of  v7rt£oto-u  HAKois  TTAVTdLi  Tovff  eju7r£Q<rQtv " who  shall  excel  in 

wickedness  all  that  were  before  him.  The  Apostle 
Paul  seems  to  refer  to  this  version,  where  he  calls  the 
same  power,  •  *i%»»««  ™?  a^g™*?,  and  ■  avopor,  «  that  man 
of  sin  "  and  "  that  wicked."  The  Vulgate  renders 
the  phrase  in  the  following  Latin  :  "  Et  ipse  potentior 
erit  prioribus  " — "and  he  shall  be  more  powerful  than 
his  predecessors."  This  version  is  followed  by  the 
Doway  Bible;  "and  he  shall  be  mightier  than  the 
former."    Luther  also  adopts  the  same  sense — "  der 


1S2         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

wird  miichtiger  seyn  denn  der  vorigen  keiner  " — "  he 
will  be  more  powerful  than  any  that  were  before  him." 
The  French  agrees  with  our  English  version — "  qui 
sera  different  des  premiers ;" — "  who  shall  be  diverse 
from  the  first." 

Probably  the  context  will  furnish  us  with  a  clew  to 
the  right  meaning.  The  little  horn  is  represented  as 
having  "eyes  like  the  eyes  of  man,  and  a  mouth  speak- 
ing great  things ;"  as  being  "  more  stout  than  his  fel- 
lows," and  as  "subduing  three  kings."  A  horn  is  a 
scriptural  symbol  for  a  king  or  kingdom.  Eyes  de- 
note cunning  and  craft,  and  a  mouth  speaking  great 
things,  indicates  boastful  pretensions  and  ambitious 
designs.  Certainly  a  kingdom  of  this  sort,  growing 
up  among  other  kingdoms,  must  be  very  dissimilar  to 
its  neighbours  ;  it  is  likely  to  be  more  powerful,  and 
in  the  end  it  must  be  hated.  All  these  translations 
therefore  substantially  agree ;  and  they  all  indicate 
certain  peculiarities  in  which  the  power  foretold,  dif- 
fers, not  only  from  those  around  it,  but  from  all  pre- 
ceding forms  of  government.  This  power  we  have 
already  asserted  to  be  the  Papacy,  which  differs  from 
other  European  governments  in  several  respects. 

The  Papacy  is  a  spiritual  power.  Other  European 
governments  profess  to  be  spiritual  only  in  the  sense, 
in  which  Paul  asserts  that  "  the  powers  that  be  are 
ordained  of  God;"  that  is,  they  are  providentially 
appointed.  Not  so  the  Papacy.  Its  authority  is  pro- 
fessedly derived  immediately  from  heaven.  "The 
Pope  receives  power  and  jurisdiction,"  says  Dens, 
"  immediately  from  Christ."  (Theol.  xxiv.)  "  The 
authority  given  to  St.  Peter  and  his  successors,"  says 
the  bull  of  Sixtus  V.," excels  all  the  powers  of  earthly 
kings  and  princes."*  "  One  sword,"  says  Pope  Boni- 
face VIII., "must  be  under  another,  and  the  temporal 
authority  must  be  subject  to  the  spiritual  power."! 
Again,  Dens,  in  his  Moral  Theology,  in  answer  to 
the  question,  "  Has  the  supreme  Pontiff  a  certain 
temporal  and  civil  power?"  gives  the  following  an- 

*  Burrow.  t  Idem. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  183 

swers  :  "  There  have  been  those,  who  ascribed  to  the 
Pontiff  by  divine  right  the  most  plenary  and  direct 
power  over  the  whole  world,  as  well  in  temporal  as 
in  spiritual  things."  Others,  he  says,  maintain  that, 
"  when  the  spiritual  power  cannot  be  freely  exer- 
cised, nor  the  Pope's  object  be  obtained  by  spiritual, 
then  he  may  have  recourse  to  temporal  means ;  and 
thus  it  has  been  done  by  Pontiffs  more  than  once." 
Here,  according  both  to  popes  and  doctors,  the  papacy 
is  supreme  in  one  way  or  another,  and  that  by  divine 
right,  over  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth.  This  is 
certainly,  one  point  of  diversity,  between  this  power 
and  all  others.  No  European  kingdom,  no  kingdom 
that  has  ever  existed,  has  assumed  so  much  as  this. 

Another  peculiarity  of  this  power  is,  its  awfully 
despotic  character.  In  other  governments  there  are 
privileges,  there  are  checks  upon  power.  But  what 
privileges  have  Papists  ?  What  checks  are  there  to 
papal  tyranny?  None,  whatever.  The  supreme 
pontiff  domineers  over  all.  Having  on  his  head 
Christ's  crown,  and  in  his  hand  his  rod  of  iron,  he 
sets  absolute  defiance  to  all  inferior  orders  and  ranks 
of  men.  "  Go  and  contemplate  him  in  the  Vatican," 
says  Gaussen,  "  as  I  have  done ;  you  will  there  see 
the  painting  which  represents  the  Emperor  Henry 
the  Fourth,  stripped  before  Gregory  the  Seventh, 
placed  in  the  royal  saloon,  through  which  the  am- 
bassadors of  all  the  powers  of  Europe  pass;  and  in 
another,  the  heroic  and  powerful  Emperor  Frederick 
Barbarossa,  on  his  knees  before  Pope  Alexander  the 
Third,  in  the  public  square  at  Venice.  The  Pope's  foot 
is  on  his  shoulder ;  his  sceptre  is  thrown  upon  the 
ground,  and  underneath  are  these  words,  Fredericus 
supplex  adorat,  Jidem  et  obedieniiam  pollicitus — 
"  Frederic,  having  promised  faith  and  obedience,  as  a 
suppliant  adores,"  (the  Pope  !)  Where  is  the  king  of 
the  west,  who  is  carried  on  men's  shoulders,  and  sur- 
rounded by  peacock's  feathers?  Incense  is  burnt 
before  him  as  an  idol ;  he  is  knelt  to  on  both  knees ; 
his  slipper  is  kissed  on  his  foot ;  and  he  is  adored. 


184         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

Venite,  adoremus — "Come,  let  us  worship,"  exclaim 
the  cardinals,  when  they  go  to  him.* 

The  following  are  extracts  from  the  bishops'  and 
archbishops'  oath.  "  I,  N.,  of  the  church  of  N.,  from 
henceforth  will  be  faithful  and  obedient  to  St.  Peter 
the  Apostle,  and  to  the  Holy  Roman  Church,  and  to 
our  Lord,  the  lord  N.,  Pope  N.,  and  to  his  successors, 
canonical ly  coming  in.  Heretics,  schismatics  and  rebels 
to  our  said  lord,  or  his  aforesaid  successors,  I  will  to  my 
power  persecute,  and  oppress.  The  possession  belong- 
ing to  my  table,  I  will  neither  sell,  nor  give  away,  nor 
mortgage,  nor  grant  anew  in  fee,  nor  any  wise  alien- 
ate, no  not  even  with  the  consent  of  the  chapter  of 
my  church,  without  consulting  the  Roman  Pontiff."? 
Surely,  if  kings  and  emperors,  cardinals,  archbishops 
and  bishops,  are  thus  miserably  enslaved,  the  people 
cannot  know  what  freedom  is.  A  tyranny  like  this,  has 
positively  never  existed  besides  it,  on  the  earth.  And 
the  only  wonder  is,  that  men  can  be  found  so  blinded 
by  priestcraft,  so  passively  tame  in  their  tempers,  as 
to  submit  to  such  an  arbitrary  and  unnatural  domi- 
nation. And  yet  for  ages  on  ages,  not  only  the  igno- 
rant and  the  ignoble,  but  the  proud  and  the  great 
in  Europe,  have  lain  submissively  under  this  galling 
yoke  of  bondage.  The  will  of  the  Pope  has  been  the 
fiat  of  the  Almighty,  and  kings  and  emperors  have 
trembled  before  him,  as  they  would  beneath  the 
thunders  of  Jehovah. 

The  government  of  the  Pope  is  also  diverse  from 
all  other  governments  in  the  extent  of  its  domination. 
Most  governments  have  been  satisfied  with  compara- 
tively contracted  territorial  limits.  Even  those  which 
have  been  the  greatest  and  the  most  ambitious,  have 
ruled  over  but  a  part  of  mankind.  Neither  the  Assy- 
rian, the  Persian,  the  Grecian,  nor  the  Roman  empire 
filled  the  world.  The  pretensions,  however,  of  the 
successors  of  St.  Peter,  have  uniformily  extended  to 
the  entire  globe.  That  Christ  possessed  "  all  power 
on  earth,"  none  can  deny  who  receive  the  New  Tes- 

*  Geneva  and  Rome.  t  Barrow. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  185 

tament  as  of  divine  authority.  Bat  Christ  gave  his 
power  to  St.  Peter,  and  St.  Peter  left  it  to  his  succes- 
sors in  the  papal  chair  at  Rome.  Whatever  of  power 
therefore,  Jesus  Christ  has  over  the  nations,  the  same 
has  the  Pope.* 

Nor  has  this  result  of  the  papal  system  been  denied 
by  the  abettors  of  popery.  On  the  contrary,  they 
constantly  maintain  it.  The  following  is  the  estab- 
lished doctrine  on  this  point  as  derived  from  their  own 
divines.  Prima  sententia  est,  summum  Pontificem 
jure  divino  habere  plenissimam  potestatem  in  uni- 
ve?*swn  orbem  terrarum,  tarn  in  rebus  ecclesiasticis 
quam  civilibusA  "  The  primary  doctrine  is,  that  the 
chief  pontiff  possesses  by  divine  right,  plenary  power 
throughout  the  whole  world  both  in  ecclesiastical  and 
civil  matters."!  In  one  of  the  canon  laws  of  popery,  it 
is  affirmed  that/' The  Roman  Pontiff  bears  the  author- 
ity, not  of  a  mere  man,  but  of  the  true  God  upon 
earth."  (  Veri  Dei  vicem  gerit  in  terris.%)  "  Under 
the  Pope's  nose,"  says  Barrow,  "  and  in  his  ear,  one 
bishop  styled  him,  'prince  of  the  world;'  another 
orator  called  him,  '  king  of  kings  and  monarch  of 
the  earth ;'  another  great  prelate  said  of  him,  that 
'he  had  all  power  above,  all  power  in  heaven  and 
earth  !'"§ 

Presumption  like  this,  we  hesitate  not  to  say,  has 
not  a  parallel  in  the  history  of  our  race.  No  govern- 
ment has  aspired  to  a  dominion  so  great  as  this,  nor 
has  the  most  ambitious  conqueror  ever  conceived,  that 
a  domain  so  vast,  was  to  lie  beneath  his  victorious 

*  Some  may  suppose  that  the  former  pretensions  of  the  occupants 
of  the  chair  of  St.  Peter,  have  been  relinquished  by  his  more  modern 
successors.  Such,  however,  is  by  no  means  the  case.  In  a  letter  to 
his  brothers,  Counts  Gabriel,  Joseph,  and  Gaetano  Mastai  Feretti, 
dated  Rome,  June  16,  1846,  the  recently  elected  Pope,  Pius  IX.,  uses 
the  following  language — "  The  blessed  God,  who  humbles  and  exalts, 
has  been  pleased  to  raise  me  from  insignificance  to  the  most  sublime 
dignity  on  earth."  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  however  weak  the 
more  modern  Popes  are  in  reality,  their  opinions  as  to  the  exalted 
dignity  of  their  stations,  are  perfectly  coincident  with  the  views  of 
a  Gregory  VII.  or  Innocent  III. 

t  Barrow.  t  Church  of  Rome  compared,  p.  29. 

§  Supremacy,  17. 

17 


1SG  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

sword.     No;   snch  ambition,  such  claims  were  left 
alone  for  the  bishops  of  Rome  to  exhibit. 

Another  grand  peculiarity  of  the  papal  power  is 
to  be  found  in  the  nature  of  the  sanctions  by  which 
its  laws  are  enforced.  In  all  other  human  govern- 
ments, offences  are  punished  by  ordinary  and  tem- 
poral punishments.  A  man  is  fined,  is  deprived  of 
certain  privileges,  is  imprisoned,  or  is  executed.  In 
this  case,  a  civil  offence  is  followed  by  a  civil  punish- 
ment. But  the  Papacy  is  a  spiritual,  as  well  as  a 
temporal  power.  It  draws  out  offences  from  the  con- 
science and  the  heart.  Its  inquisitorial  confessions 
and  courts,  employ  their  interrogatories  and  their 
irons,  as  a  sort  of  priestly  omniscience,  to  survey  all 
the  secret  chambers  of  the  soul.  When,  too,  the  crime 
is  ascertained,  it  is  visited  not  simply  with  confiscation 
and  burning,  but  with  anathema.  The  temporal 
power  of  the  ecclesiastical  monarch  enkindles  the  fires 
of  the  auto-da-fe,  while  his  spiritual  power  consigns 
him  to  those  of  hell. 

As  the  power  of  Christ  was  supreme,  not  only  on 
earth, but  also  "in  heaven,"  the  legal  heir  of  this  power 
is  not  satisfied  with  a  divided  patrimony ;  he  must  have 
all.  Hence  his  keys,  his  masses,  his  prayers,  open  and 
shut  the  invisible  world  at  pleasure.  "  He  openeth  and 
no  man  shutteth,  he  shutteth  and  no  man  openeth. " 
Leo  X.,  one  of  the  best  of  the  Roman  pontiffs,  uses 
this  language:  "The  Roman  pontiff,  the  successor  of 
Peter,  in  regard  to  the  keys,  and  the  vicar  of  Jesus 
Christ  on  earth,  possessing  the  power  of  the  keys,  may, 
for  reasonable  causes,  by  his  apostolic  authority,  grant 
indulgences  out  of  the  superabundant  merits  of  Christ 
and  the  saints,  to  the  faithful,  who  are  united  to  Christ 
by  charity,  as  well  for  the  living  as  for  the  dead. 
Wherefore,  all  persons,  whether  living  or  dead,  who 
really  obtain  any  indulgences  of  this  kind,  are  deliver- 
ed from  so  much  temporal  punishment,  due  according 
to  divine  justice  for  actual  sins,  as  is  equivalent  to  the 
value  of  the  indulgence   bestowed  and  received."* 

*  Le  Plat,  quoted  by  Cramp,  341. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  187 

cYou  may  buy,"  says  Dr.  Sturtevant,  "as  many 
masses  as  will  free  your  souls  from  purgatory  for 
twenty-nine  thousand  years,  at  the  church  of  St. 
John's  Lateran,  on  the  festa  of  that  saint.  Those  that 
have  interest  with  the  Pope  may  obtain  an  absolution 
in  full,  from  his  holiness,  for  all  the  sins  they  ever  have 
committed  or  may  choose  to  commit."*  "Because  pri- 
vate believers,"  says  Dens,  "mayapply  their  own  satis- 
factions to  souls  in  purgatory,  therefore  the  Pope  may 
apply  to  them  the  satisfaction  of  Christ  and  the  saints 
from  the  treasury  of  the  church."t  How  long,  there- 
fore, a  soul  shall  remain  in  purgatory,  or  whether  it 
shall  ever  get  out,  depends  upon  the  will  of  the  Pope, 
exercised  either  by  himself,  or  by  some  of  his  vicege- 
rents. And  when  we  remember,  that  purgatory  is 
one  of  the  four  divisions  of  hell,  and  that  Bellarmine 
and  others  maintain,  that  its  fires  are  of  the  same  na- 
ture as  those  of  hell,  the  power  of  the  keys  must  sure- 
ly give  to  the  successors  of  St.  Peter  no  ordinary  in- 
fluence over  the  fears,  the  purses,  and  the  persons  of 
his  widely  extended  flock. 

Now,  all  other  kings  and  sovereigns  have  left  the 
infliction  of  such  punishment  with  God  only.  They 
have  punished  men  but  as  the  subjects  of  civil  law, 
and  as  amenable  to  civil  penalties.  They  have  not 
followed  the  departed  spirit  to  eternity,  and  there  also 
haunted  it  with  their  chains  and  instruments  of  tor- 
ture. They  have  usually  supposed  that  their  work 
was  ended  at  death.  Not  so  the  Pope  and  his  priest- 
hood. The  iron  grasp  of  their  tyranny  is  not  broken 
even  by  the  power  of  the  grave.  They  hold  their 
subjects  amenable  even  beyond  time.  They  torture 
or  bless  them  even  in  eternity  itself.  Surely,  a  gov- 
ernment like  this,  cannot  be  found  besides  it,  in  the 
history  of  the  world. 

The  possession  of  absolute  infallibility  is  another 
peculiarity  of  the  Papacy.  The  old  Latin  adage, 
"humanum  est  errare" — it  is  human  to  err — has  so 
commended  itself  to  the  experience  of  mankind,  that  it 

*  Letters  from  Rome.  t  Theol ,  chap.  xl. 


188         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE* 

has  been  converted  into  a  sort  of  moral  axiom,  which 
no  one  doubts,  and  every  one  believes.  Nor  is  it  hu- 
•man  for  individuals  simply  to  err;  governments  also 
err.  Hence,  in  every  wise  civil  constitution,  there  is 
always  an  article  provided  against  the  mistakes  which 
may  have  crept  into  such  constitution,  even  despite 
the  wisdom  of  its  framers.  And  in  all  courts  of  law, 
even  in  those  from  which  there  is  no  appeal,  it  is  yet 
believed,  that  there  may  be  erroneous  decisions  and 
that  the  condemned  must  sometimes  look,  not  to  the 
tribunals  of  man,  but  to  the  judgments  of  God  for  ulti- 
mate justice.  Nor  can  there  be  found  in  the  history 
of  the  world,  a  solitary  king,  sovereign,  or  saint,  in 
whom  there  have  not  been  either  the  ebullitions  of 
passion,  or  the  mistakes  of  the  understanding.  One 
perfect  or  infallible  man  has  never  yet  existed,  save 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  he  was  more  than  man. 
Adam,  Noah,  Abraham,  Moses,  David,  Paul,  and 
Peter,  plead  no  exemption  from  universal  human 
frailty.  Yet,  this  is  the  boast  of  the  Roman  Pontiff! 
As  a  man,  it  is  allowed,  even  he  may  err;  but  as  the 
vicar  of  Christ,  like  Christ  himself,  his  judgments  are 
infallible.  "  The  supreme  Pontiff,"  says  Dens,  "  de- 
termining from  the  throne,  matters  relating  to  faith  or 
customs,  is  infallible:  which  infallibility  proceeds  from 
the  especial  assistance  of  the  Holy  Ghost."*  Blessed 
Spirit  of  the  living  God!  one  is  ready  to  exclaim — are 
all  the  blunders,  the  errors,  the  follies,  the  madness, 
the  persecutions,  the  bloodshed,  of  the  Roman  Pon- 
tiffs, many  of  which  have  disgraced  mankind,  are  all 
these  to  be  ascribed  to  thy  direction  and  counsel! 
Yet,  such  are  the  pretensions  of  the  Pope,  such  is  the 
creed  of  Romanists!  Poor  pitiable  sovereigns  of 
Europe!  How  unfortunate  is  your  condition!  Ye 
are  guilty  of  errors.  Your  blunders  are  on  the  page 
of  history.  But  your  venerable  father,  your  endeared 
brother,  the  Pope,  has  none  of  your  frailties,  none  of 
your  human  weaknesses!  Why,  then,  do  ye  not  all 
seek  wisdom  from  him ;  take  counsel  from  him ?    Why 

*  Theol.,  ch.  xxiv. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  ISO 

I 

debate  so  long  in  your  national  legislatures  ?  Why  not 
send  an  express  to  Rome  to  gain  infallible  decisions? 

Thus  stands  the  Roman  pontificate — a  sui  generis  in 
fact,  as  well  as  a  sui  generis  in  vision.  Well  might 
Daniel  gaze  in  astonishment,  "  because  of  the  voice  of 
the  great  words  which  the  horn  spake !"  It  is  wor- 
thy of  notice  here,  that  this  ancient  seer  expresses  no 
astonishment  whatever  at  the  appearance  of  the  other 
horns.  Each  one  of  them  was  the  symbol  of  a  king- 
dom as  well  as  "  the  little  horn."  Yet  the  attention 
of  the  prophet  is  wholly  turned  to  the  contemplation 
of"  the  little  horn."  This  horn  was  to  him  a  matter 
of  the  greatest  wonder.  Unlike  the  other  horns,  it  had 
"eyes  and  a  mouth  speaking  great  things."  Though 
little,  "its  look  was  more  stout  than  its  fellows." 
It  seemed,  too,  to  be  filled  with  the  most  inveterate 
hatred  to  the  saints.  The  prophet  gazed  and  won- 
dered when  he  contemplated  this  horn;  because,  while 
the  other  horns  were  the  symbols  of  ordinary,  politi- 
cal kingdoms,  the  little  horn,  in  which  so  many  con- 
traries met,  was  the  symbol  of  a  kingdom,  the  like  to 
which  had  never  existed,  either  in  the  heaven  above 
or  on  the  earth  beneath.  It  was  to  be  diverse  from 
all  kingdoms. 

Now,  where  is  the  king  or  kingdom,  in  which  the 
peculiarities  of  the  little  horn  are  to  be  found?  Not 
in  Antiochus.  Not  in  Julius  Caesar.  Not  in  Moham- 
med. None  of  these  men  were  so  peculiarly  distin- 
guished from  their  fellow  men;  nor  did  any  of  them, 
save  Caesar,  have  any  connexion  with  the  Roman 
beast.  Where  then,  shall  we  find  the  reality  of 
which  "  the  little  horn"  is  the  symbol?  In  Antichrist, 
says  the  Romanist;  but  Antichrist  has  not  yet  come. 
In  Antichrist,  we  say;  but  Antichrist  has  already  been 
in  the  world  for  more  than  a  thousand  years. 

Thus  does  the  anomalous  character  of  the  Papacy 
prove  it  to  be  the  antitype  of  "the  little  horn."  This 
power  is  unlike  all  others;  is  uncongenial  with  all 
others.  It  is  a  usurper,  a  supplanter.  We  can  readi- 
ly conceive,  how  a  spiritual  power,  either  associated 
with  the  state,  or  entirely  independent  of  the  state, 

i7* 


190         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

may  exist  without  discord  or  collision.  If  the  church 
be  entirely  distinct  from  the  political  institutions  of  a 
people,  there  can  of  course  be  no  disturbance,  as  there 
is  no  contact.  And  if  a  church  be  established  by  law, 
as  the  operations  of  the  religious  and  the  political  sys- 
tems are  kept  in  distinct  spheres,  there  may  be  but 
occasional  evils  growing  out  of  such  union.  But  for 
a  government  that  claims  its  existence  jure  divino, 
that  sets  up  a  universal  empire,  that  arrogates  to  it- 
self supremecy  in  all  civil,  as  well  as  ecclesiastical 
matters — for  a  government  that  considers  itself  infalli- 
ble, and  which  requires  absolute  submission  in  all  its 
subjects — for  such  a  government  to  exist  in  the  midst 
of  other  governments;  in  its  very  principles  trampling 
upon  their  rights  and  privileges;  wielding  both  a  tem- 
poral and  a  spiritual  sword;  punishing  offenders  both 
in  this  world  and  the  next — for  such  a  government  to 
exist  in  harmony  with  other  governments,  is  impossi- 
ble, absolutely  impossible.  The  papal  system  can 
harmonize  with  no  other,  whether  religious  or  politi- 
cal. To  the  religious  world,  it  exhibits  one  supreme 
pontiff  of  Christendom,  and  requires  for  him  universal 
obedience.  To  the  political  world,  it  presents  one 
great  monarch,  whose  throne  is  above  every  throne, 
and  whose  will  is  law  throughout  the  globe.  No:  the 
Papacy  is  a  unit,  and  presents  the  front  of  positive 
hostility  to  every  thing  that  is  not  consolidated  in 
itself.  It  may  not  be  able  to  carry  out  its  principles 
and  wishes,  but  this  is  its  nature.  It  is  "  diverse  "■ 
from  all  other  governments;  it  is  the  adversary  of  all 
other  governments. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  191 


CHAPTER  IV. 


ANTICHRIST   AN   APOSTATE   FROM   THE  CHRISTIAN  FAITH. 

Another  mark  of  Antichrist  as  given  in  the  Scrip- 
tures is,  apostasy  from  the  Christian  faith.  "  For  that 
day  shall  not  come,  except  there  come  a  falling  away 
(»  a7toata<Ha)  first,  and  that  man  of  sin  be  revealed,  the 
son  of  perdition."  2  Thess.  ii.  3. 

Several  distinguished  commentators,  as  Grotius, 
Whitby,  Le  Clerc,  and  Wetstein,  have  interpreted  "the 
day  of  Christ," — («  »>££<*  tov  Xgoatov)  in  this  passage 
as  applicable  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and 
have  consequently  referred  the  term  —  «  anoataaia — 
"  the  apostasy,"  to  the  revolt  of  the  Jews  against  the 
Romans,  previously  to  the  destruction  of  that  city. 
This  opinion,  however,  will  appear,  from  even  a  brief 
reflection  upon  this  passage,  to  be  wholly  untenable. 
It  is  evident  from  the  whole  scope  of  the  passage, 
that  the  future  coming  of  Christ  is  meant ;  and  that 
the  apostasy  referred  to,  is  of  a  religious,  and  not  of  a 
political  character.  Indeed  the  Apostle  explains  his 
own  meaning,  "  Now  the  Spirit  speaketh  expressly, 
that  in  the  latter  times  some  shall  depart  from  the 

faith."   2  Tim.  ii.  1 — arioat^aovtao  fives  *»;s  Tttcfffwj. 

Other  commentators,  who  understand  by  "  the  day 
of  Christ"  the  future  coming  of  the  Saviour,  yet  ap- 
ply the  term  artoataaia,  "apostasy,"  to  something  which 
has  not  as  yet  occurred.  Roman  Catholic  writers  are 
generally  of  this  opinion.  Bloomfield,  too,  in  his  notes 
on  the  New  Testament,  has  maintained  the  same  sen- 
timent. "  Upon  the  whole,"  says  he, "  there  seems  good 
reason  to  suppose,  with  many  eminent  expositors  for 
the  last  half  century,  that  what  is  here  spoken  of,  has 
not  yet  taken  place.  "  The  man  of  sin,"  says  the  com- 
mentator on  the  Doway  Bible,  "agrees  to  the  wicked 


192         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

and  great  Antichrist,  who  will  come  before  the  end  of 
the  world." 

If  it  were  meant  by  this,  that  the  Papacy,  the  real 
Antichrist,  will  assume  a  more  malignant  and  despe- 
rate character  anterior  to  the  coming  of  Christ,  we 
would  freely  yield  to  this  interpretation.  This  fact 
appears  to  be  definitely  and  clearly  revealed  in  the 
16th  chapter  of  the  book  of  Revelation,  verses  13,  14. 
But  if  such  interpreters  mean,  that  Antichrist  is  yet 
to  arise,  that  he  is  but  one  person,  that  his  dominion 
is  to  be  brief,  and  that  he  is  immediately  to  precede  the 
coming  of  Christ,  then  do  we  differ  from  them  tolo 
ccelo.  The  Roman  Catholic  comment  on  this  passage 
is  strangely  inconsistent  with  itself.  "  This  revolt 
(apostasy)  is  generally  understood  by  the  ancient  fa- 
thers, of  a  revolt  from  the  Roman  empire,  which  was 
first  to  be  destroyed  before  the  coming  of  Antichrist." 
According  to  this  statement,  if  Antichrist  be  not  al- 
ready come,  the  prophecy  must  be  false  ;  for  the  Ro- 
man empire  was  subverted  in  the  year  476.  Anti- 
christ, was  to  succeed  that  empire;  and  yet,  although 
more  than  thirteen  centuries  have  passed,  he  has  not 
appeared !  The  error  here  consists,  in  making  Anti- 
christ one  person.  It  is  certain,  that  Antichrist  is  to 
continue  to  some  future  coming  of  Christ.  It  is 
equally  certain,  that  he  was  to  arise  directly  after  the 
fall  of  the  Roman  empire.  He  cannot  therefore  be 
one  person ;  but  must  be  a  succession  of  persons  fill- 
ing the  same  office. 

Our  Roman  Catholic  annotator  has  also  another 
opinion.  "  This  revolt  (apostasy)  may  perhaps  be 
understood  also,  of  a  revolt  of  many  nations  from  the 
catholic  church;  which  has  in  part  happened  already, 
by  the  means  of  Mahomet,  Luther,  &c.,  and  it  may  be 
supposed,  will  be  more  general  in  the  days  of  Anti- 
christ." Mohammedanism  is  certainly  neither  an 
apostasy  from  the  faith,  nor  a  revolt  from  the  Romish 
church.  The  Arabians  were  not  professing  Christians, 
nor  was  Mohammed  a  member  of  any  Christian  so- 
ciety whatever.  It  is  absurd  therefore,  to  suppose, 
that  Mohammed,  or  Mohammedanism  is  the  subject 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  193 

of  these  prophecies.  Besides,  where  this  delusion  is 
evidently  predicted  under  the  fifth  and  sixth  trumpets, 
it  is  not  described  as  a  departure  from  the  faith,  or  a 
revolt  from  Christendom,  but  as  an  invasion  of  the 
faith,  and  an  assault  upon  Christendom. 

As  to  the  reference  of  these  predictions  to  the  Re- 
formers and  their  adherents,  it  is  enough  to  answer  in 
the  language  of  Bishop  Newton  :  "  Who,  then,  is  the 
man  of  sin  ?  Luther  and  his  followers,  or  Calvin 
and  his  followers  ?  Or,  who  ?  for  the  Protestants  are 
far  from  being  united  under  one  head.  Which  of  the 
Protestant  churches  exalts  herself  above  every  God 
and  magistrate?  Which  of  them  arrogates  to  herself 
divine  honours  and  titles?  Which  of  them  pretends 
to  establish  her  doctrine  and  discipline  by  miracles  ? 
These  things  would  be  ridiculously  and  absurdly  ob- 
jected to  the  Protestant  churches,  and  more  ridicu- 
lously and  absurdly  still  by  the  members  of  the  church 
of  Rome."*  If,  too,  Christian  faith  be  contained  in 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  it  certainly  must  be  most  prepos- 
terous to  imagine,  that  those  men  who  are  doing  all 
in  their  power  to  scatter  the  Holy  Scriptures  through- 
out the  earth,  have  departed  from  the  faith. 

There  is  a  power,  however,  already  existing,  and 
which  is  destined  to  exist  until  the  coming  of  Christ, 
which  this  prophetic  description  does  suit,  audit  suits 
no  other.  "  The  usurpation  of  the  Papacy  in  divine 
things  is  so  unparalleled,"  says  Doddridge,  "  that  if 
these  words  are  not  applicable  to  it,  it  is  difficult  to 
say,  who  there  ever  has  been  or  can  be  to  whom  they 
should  belong." 

If  Romanism  be  not  the  apostasy  (»'  artoatasia)  here 
mentioned,  and  the  papacy  "the  man  of  sin"  (6 
av9gt»7tos  trj$  apazttas),  then  may  we  conclude  certainly, 
that  no  parade  of  facts  whatever,  can  prove  a  pro- 
phecy to  have  been  fulfilled.  With  a  mode  of  inter- 
pretation which  would  lead  to  the  denial  of  such  an 
application  of  these  predictions,  it  would  be  impossi- 
ble to  demonstrate  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus,  or  the 

*  On  the  Prophecies,  Diss.  xxii. 


194         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

truth  of  the  Christian  dispensation.  This  will  appear 
more  evident,  however,  when  we  shall  have  shown, 
that  the  Papacy,  including  the  whole  system  of  Ro- 
manism, is  not  only  an  apostasy,  but  the  apostasy, 
from  the  Christian  faith.  And  here  we  lay  it  down 
as  self-evident,  that  any  body  of  men  denying  that  the 
Holy  Scriptures  are  the  only  standard  of  faith  and 
practice;  or,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  sole  Head  of  the 
Church,  and  of  each  believer;  or,  that  there  is  but  one 
Mediator  between  God  and  man;  or,  that  sinners  are 
justified  by  faith,  and  solely  on  account  of  the  right- 
eousness of  Christ — any  set  of  men,  we  say,  denying 
these  things,  must  be,  and  are  apostate. 

Romanists  deny  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  are  the 
only  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  The  Council  of  Trent, 
in  determining  the  proper  standard  of  faith  and  prac- 
tice, uses  the  following  language :  "  That  this  truth 
and  discipline  are  contained  in  the  written  word,  and 
in  the  unwritten  traditions,  which  were  received  by 
the  Apostles  from  the  mouth  of  Christ  himself,  or  from 
the  Apostles  themselves  as  the  dictate  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  them,  and  delivered  as  it  were  from  hand  to 
hand,  have  come  down  to  us."*  In  Dens'  Moral 
Theology,  are  these  statements:  "Divine  tradition  has 
equal  authority  with  Holy  Scripture ;  for  both  are 
truly  the  word  of  God  !"  "  The  church,  however,  has 
not  framed  a  catalogue  of  divine  traditions,  but  sets 
forth,  sometimes  one,  and  sometimes  another,  as  occa- 
sions demand."  "  Divine  tradition  is  truly  a  rule  of 
faith,  as  it  is  the  word  of  God,  not  less  than  Holy 
Scripture."  "  There  is  more  need  of  divine  tradition 
than  of  Sacred  Scripture,  as  Scripture  cannot  be  known 
without  tradition."  Then  under  the  question,  "  Are 
there  any  special  rules  for  ascertaining  traditions?" 
The  following  answers  are  given :  "  Whatever  the 
Roman  Church  holds  as  tradition  is  to  be  regarded  as 
such.  Whatever  the  Catholic  Church  holds  or  declares 
as  such,  is  to  be  regarded  as  tradition."!  These 
extracts  are  sufficient  to  show,  that  the  Romish  church 

*  Council  of  Trent,  Sess.  iv.  f  Thcol.,  chap,  xviii. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  195 

feels  herself  fully  competent  to  give  a  rule  of  faith, 
not  only  equal,  but  superior  to  the  word  of  God !  Well 
has  an  Apostle  said,  "Beware,  lest  any  man  spoil 
you,  after  the  tradition  of  men."  Coloss.  ii.  8.  And 
well  has  the  Saviour  declared  concerning  such,  "  Full 
well  ye  reject  the  commandment  of  God,  that  ye  may 
keep  your  own  tradition."  Mark  vii.  9. 

Romanists  have  also  exalted  over  the  church,  and 
over  the  consciences  of  men,  another  head  than  Christ. 
The  scriptural  doctrine  on  this  subject  is,  that  "Christ 
is  the  head  over  all  to  his  church;"  Eph.  i.  22 ;  and 
that  "  the  head  of  every  man  is  Christ."  1  Cor.  xi.  3. 
Jesus  Christ,  speaking  to  every  individual  congre- 
gation of  believers,  and  to  each  individual  believer, 
through  the  Holy  Scriptures,  is  alone  Lord  of  con- 
science, and  Head  and  Umpire  of  faith.  A  congrega- 
tion or  individual  may  be  instructed  and  reasoned 
with,  as  to  what  Christ  in  the  Scriptures  has  made 
lgiown.  But  every  attempt  to  interpose  another  au- 
thority between  the  congregation  of  the  Lord,  or  any 
individual  believer,  and  Christ,  his  supreme  Judge, 
supplants  the  authority  of  Christ,  and  substitutes  that 
of  man  in  its  stead.  This  the  Romanists  do,  over  the 
general  church,  over  each  congregation,  and  over 
each  individual  member.  Over  the  general  church, 
there  is  the  Pope,  deciding,  determining,  settling  aH 
things.  Over  the  congregations,  there  is  the  Bishop, 
exercising  a  similar,  but  subordinate  authority.  And 
over  each  member,  there  is  the  Priest,  controlling  the 
consciences  of  men,  and  occupying  a  place  between 
each  member  and  Christ.  The  authority  of  Christ  is 
thus  removed  from  the  church  and  its  members,  and 
the  authority  of  the  priesthood  substituted. 

No  better  evidence  need  be  adduced  on  this  point 
than  the  fact,  that  the  Romish  church  is  so  extremely 
unwilling  that  either  churches  or  individuals  should 
either  hear,  or  read  the  Holy  Scriptures.  The  follow- 
ing is  a  decree  of  the  Council  of  Trent,  in  full  force 
at  the  present  time — "  As  it  is  manifest  by  experience, 
if  the  Holy  Bible  in  the  vulgar  tongue  [the  only 
way  in   which  the  people  can  read   i£]   be  every 


196         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

where  indiscriminately  permitted,  more  injury  than 
advantage  would  accrue,  on  account  of  the  temerity  of 
the  people,  let  it  abide  in  this  point  by  the  judgment 
of  the  bishop  or  inquisitor,  that  with  the  advice  of  the 
priest  or  confessor,  the  reading  of  the  Bible  in  the 
vulgar  tongue,  translated  by  Catholic  authors,  may  be 
conceded  to  those,  who,  they  apprehend,  can  derive  no 
injury,  but  an  increase  of  faith  and  piety  from  such 
reading:  which  permission  they  must  have  in  writ- 
ing. But  whosoever  shall  presume,  without  such 
permission  to  have,  or  to  read  it,  cannot  obtain 
absolution  of  his  sins,  unless  the  Bible  be  first 
returned  to  the  ordinary.  But  regulars  may  neither 
purchase  nor  read  it,  except  by  permission  obtain- 
ed from  their  prelates."*  Commenting  on  this  decree, 
Dens  says :  "  This  law  has  been  received  and  hitherto 
kept,  in  the  whole  purely  Catholic  world:  more  indul- 
gence has  been  granted  only  when  it  was  necessary 
to  live  among  heretics."  Again  he  says :  "  Observe^ 
the  power  of  granting  permission  to  read  the  Sacred 
Scripture  in  the  vernacular  tongue,  belongs  to  the 
bishop,  or  inquisitor,  not  to  the  priest,  or  confessors, 
unless  this  power  has  been  conceded  to  them."  Again, 
he  says :  "  It  must  be  said,  that  in  this  point  the  dis- 
cipline of  the  church  has  been  changed;  just  as  com- 
munion under  both  kinds,  and  daily  communion  have 
been  changed.  For  formerly  the  faithful,  more  submis- 
sive to  their  pastors,  humbly  and  faithfully  derived 
the  sense  of  Scripture  from  them,  without  danger  of 
perverse  translations;  but  now,  through  the  example 
of  the  heretics,  the  lust  of  dissenting  from  the  pastors 
has  arisen;  and  it  is  manifest  from  experience, that  by 
the  promiscuous  reading  of  the  Sacred  Scripture,  men 
are  made  more  proud,  more  discontented,  and  univer- 
sally more  conceited."!  Probably,  no  language  could 
more  certainly  express  the  fact,  that  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures and  the  Romish  priesthood  are  at  variance,  than 
this  above  quoted.  Every  one  who  prayerfully 
searches  the  Scriptures  to  learn  the  mind  and  will  of 

*  Decrees  of  Trent.  t  Moral  Theol.  140-142. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  197 

Christ,  as  a  necessary  consequence,  perceives  and  for- 
sakes these  "doctrines  of  men"  by  which  he  was  pre- 
viously held.  Hence  the  law  to  prohibit,  except  in 
very  peculiar  cases,  and  under  a  written  permission, 
the  perusal  of  the  sacred  word  !  This  fact  alone  pro- 
claims, as  in  letters  of  fire,  that  Christ's  Headship  has 
been  supplanted  in  the  Romish  church. 

Romanists  also  deny  the  sole  mediatorship  of  Christ. 
The  Apostle  teaches,  that  "there  is  one  mediator  be- 
tween God  and  man,  the  man  Christ  Jesus."  1  Tim. 
ii.  5.  And  Jesus  himself  says — "  I  am  the  way,  the 
truth,  and  the  life ;  no  man  cometh  to  the  Father  but 
by  me."  John  xiv.  6.  It  is  also  said  of  Christ — "Be- 
cause he  continueth  ever  he  hath  an  unchangeable 
priesthood ;  wherefore  he  is  able  also  to  save  them  to 
the  uttermost  that  come  unto  God  by  him,  seeing  he 
ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them."  Heb.  vii. 
24,  25.  The  Scriptures  universally  represent  Christ's 
mediation,  as  one,  alone,  and  all-sufficient.  The 
Romish  doctrine,  however,  represents  it  as  insuffi- 
cient, and  as  needing  auxiliary  intercession. 

The  annotator  on  the  Doway  Bible  admits  that 
"Christ  is  the  only  mediator  of  redemption;"  and 
that  "  he  stands  in  need  of  no  other  to  recommend 
his  petitions  to  the  Father."  At  the  same  time,  how- 
ever, he  asserts  "  that  this  is  not  against  our  seeking 
the  prayers  and  intercessions  of  the  saints  and  angels 
in  heaven,  for  obtaining  mercy,  grace  and  salvation 
through  Jesus  Christ  !"* 

The  Council  of  Trent  passed  the  following  decree 
on  this  subject — "The  holy  council  commands  all 
.bishops  and  others  who  have  the  care  and  charge  of 
teaching,  that  they  labour  with  diligent  assiduity  to 
instruct  the  faithful,  concerning  the  invocation  and 
intercession  of  the  saints,  teaching  them  that  the 
saints,  who  reign  together  with  Christ,  offer  their 
prayers  to  God  for  men ;  that  it  is  a  good  and  useful 
thing  suppliantly  to  invoke  them,  and  to  flee  to  their 
prayers,  help,  and  assistance."!     In  reference  to  the 

*  On  1  Tim.  ii.  5.  t  De  Invocatione. 

18 


198         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

nature  of  this  worship,  Dens  says :  "  It  is  absolute, 
because  it  is  exhibited  on  account  of  the  excellence, 
intrinsic  and  peculiar  to  the  saints ;  yet,  it  may  also 
be  called  respective,  inasmuch  as  God  is  honoured  in 
the  saints."  Again  he  says:  "But  that  we  implore 
the  clemency  of  God  through  the  saints,  is  not  through 
the  defect  of  the  power  or  mercy  of  God;  but  because 
God  is  willing  to  grant  certain  blessings  only  through 
the  saints."* 

The  practical  effect  of  such  a  tenet  may  be  learned 
from  the  following  extract  taken  from  the  Catholic 
Manual  used  in  the  United  States.  "  Holy  Mary, 
pray  for  us.  All  ye  holy  angels  and  archangels,  pray 
for  us.  St.  Abel,  all  ye  choirs  of  just  souls,  St.  Abra- 
ham, St.  John  the  Baptist,  pray  for  us :  St.  Peter, 
St.  Paul,  St.  John,  pray  for  us.  All  ye  holy  disci- 
ples of  our  Lord,  pray  for  us.  St.  Sylvester,  St.  Gre- 
gory, all  ye  holy  monks  and  hermits,  pray  for  us. 
All  ye  holy  virgins  and  widows  ;  all  ye  saints  of  God, 
make  intercession  for  us."t 

These  extracts  are  enough  to  show  that,  in  the  doc- 
trine and  worship  of  Romanists,  the  creature  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  Creator,  and  the  sole  mediation  of 
Christ  is  subverted  through  the  invocation  of  saints. 

Papists  are  also  in  error  on  the  subject  of  a  sinner's 
justification  before  God.  The  following  are  decrees 
of  the  Council  of  Trent.  "Whosoever  shall  affirm 
that  the  ungodly  is  justified  by  faith  only,  {sola  jide 
impium  justijicari,)  so  that  it  is  to  be  understood  that 
nothing  else  is  to  be  required,  to  co-operate  therewith 
in  order  to  obtain  justification;  and  that  it  is  on  no  ac- 
count necessary  that  he  should  prepare  and  dispose, 
himself  by  the  effort  of  his  own  will,  (suae  voluntatis 
motu)  let  him  be  accursed,  {anathema  sit.)  Again, 
"Whosoever  shall  affirm,  that  men  are  justified  solely 
by  the  imputation  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  {sold 
imputatione  justitix  Christi;)  or,  that  the  grace  by 
which  we  are  justified  is  only  the  favour  of  God  {esse 
tantum  favor em  Dei,)  let  him  be  accursed."  "Who- 
soever shall  affirm,  that  justification  received  is  not 

*  Moral  Theol.  c.  xxxiii.  t  lb.  page  276. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  199 

preserved,  and  even  increased  in  the  sight  of  God,  by- 
good  works,  {per  bona  opera;)  let  him  be  accursed." 
"  Whosoever  shall  affirm,  that  he  who  has  fallen  after 
baptism,  cannot  by  the  grace  of  God  rise  again;  or, 
that  if  he  can,  it  is  possible  for  him  to  recover  his  lost 
righteousness  by  faith  only,  without  the  sacrament  of 
penance,  let  him  be  accursed."  "Whosoever  shall 
affirm,  that  when  the  grace  of  justification  is  received, 
the  offence  of  the  penitent  sinner  is  so  forgiven,  and 
the  sentence  of  eternal  punishment  reversed,  that  there 
remains  no  temporal  punishment  to  be  endured  before 
his  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  either  in  this 
world,  or  in  the  future  state  in  purgatory,  {vel  in  hoc 
seculo,  vel  in  futuro,  in  purgatorio,)  let  him  be  ac- 
cursed." "Whosoever  shall  affirm,  that  the  good 
works  of  a  justified  man,  are  in  such  sense  the  gifts 
of  God,  that  they  are  not  also  the  worthy  merits  of  the 
justified  person,  {ut  non  sint  etiam  bona  ipsius  jus- 
tijicati  merit  a;)  or,  that  he  being  justified  by  his  good 
works,  which  are  wrought  by  him  through  the  grace 
of  God,  and  the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ,  of  whom  he  is 
a  living  member,  does  not  really  deserve,  {non  vere 
mereri,)  increase  of  grace,  eternal  life,  the  enjoyment 
of  that  eternal  life  if  he  dies  in  a  state  of  grace,  and 
even  an  increase  of  glory;  let  him  be  accursed."* 

Any  one  acquainted  with  the  Scriptures  will  readily 
perceive  that  these  anathemas  of  the  celebrated  Coun- 
cil of  Trent  fall  primarily  upon  the  head  of  Christ  and 
his  Apostles!  The  doctrine  of  Paul  is,  that  "a  man 
is  justified  by  faith  without  the  deeds  of  the  law."* 
And  Christ  has  taught  us  to  say,  after  we  have  done 
all  commanded  us:  "We  are  unprofitable  servants; 
we  have  done  that  which  was  our  duty  to  do."  Luke 
xvii.  10.  All  ideas  of  human  merit  are  entirely  ex- 
cluded by  the  teachings  both  of  Christ  and  his  Apos- 
tles. "Where  is  boasting  then?"  asks  an  Apostle,  "  It 
is  excluded.  By  what  law?  Of  works?  Nay,  but 
by  the  law  of  faith."  Rom.  iii.  The  anathema  of 
Paul,  then,  and  those  of  the  Romanists,  are  hurled  at 

*  Do  Justificalione.  t  Rom.  iii.  28, 


200         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

precisely  opposite  persons.  Romanists  affirm,  "  If 
any  man  exclude  works  in  onr  justification,  let  him  be 
accursed."  Paul  declares,  If  any  man  put  them  in, 
let  him  be  accursed.  "  If  any  man  preach  any  other 
gospel  unto  you,  than  that  ye  have  received,  let  him 
be  accursed."  Gal.  i.  9.  Whose  anathema,  then,  are 
we  most  to  dread,  that  of  the  Council,  or  that  of  Paul  ? 
Whose  doctrine  are  we  to  receive,  that  of  Christ?  or, 
that  of  the  Pope? 

Romanism,  then,  denies  that  the  word  of  God  is 
the  sole  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  It  denies  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  sole  Head  of  the  Church.  It  denies  that 
the  mediation  of  Christ  is  one  and  exclusive.  It  also 
denies  the  justification  of  a  sinner  by  faith  only,  and 
wholly  on  account  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ.  For 
these  its  denials  of  fundamental  scriptural  doctrines,  it 
is,  and  must  be  apostate.  Its  teachings  and  those  of 
Christ  are  at  variance;  its  doctrines  and  those  of  the 
Apostles  are  directly  opposite.  Nor  is  this  all.  We 
hesitate  not  to  affirm,  that  the  papal  system  is  the 
apostasy,  predicted  by  Paul;  and  that  in  it  we  will 
find  all  the  facts,  which  the  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles 
so  graphically  places  upon  the  inspired  page. 

Here,  then,  is  another  mark  by  which  the  Papacy 
and  Antichrist  are  proved  to  be  identical.  Antichrist 
was  to  be  a  great  apostate;  he  was  also  to  preside 
over  a  great  apostasy.  The  Pope  is  an  apostate,  and 
he  presides  over  an  apostate  church.  His  system  ex- 
cludes that  of  Christ,  his  doctrines  subvert  the  doc- 
trines of  Christ.  He  is  emphatically  Antichrist,  the 
opponent  of  Christ;  and  his  system  of  doctrine  is  anti- 
christianity,  displacing  absolutely  and  entirely,  those 
doctrines  of  grace  of  which  Jesus  was  the  Herald  and 
the  Author. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  201 


CHAPTER  V. 


ANTICHRIST   AN    IDOLATER. 


Another  mark  of  Antichrist,  is  idolatry.  "  Now  the 
Spirit  speaketh  expressly,  that  in  the  latter  times, 
some  shall  depart  from  the  faith,  giving  heed  to 
seducing  spirits,  and  doctrines  of  devils."  1  Tim.  iv.  1. 
(§i$a(jxa7.Kus  Sacfiovtujv.)  That  this  passage  is  to  be  ap- 
plied to  Antichrist,  or  the  Papacy,  is  evident  from  two 
facts.  The  persons,  who  are  here  represented  as 
giving  heed  to  "seducing  spirits,  and  doctrines  of 
devils,"  are  those  who  have  departed  from  the  faith; 
that  is,  they  are  those  who  constitute  the  great  apos- 
tasy already  alluded  to.  The  species,  too,  of  idolatry 
here  spoken  of,  is  precisely  that  which  Romanists 
practise;  it  is  "the  doctrines  of  demons;"  that  is,  it  is 
worship  rendered  to  the  souls  of  departed  men. 

A  more  explicit  account,  however,  of  this  Romish 
idolatry,  is  given  in  the  following  text:  "And  the 
rest  of  men,  which  were  not  killed  by  these  plagues, 
yet  repented  not  of  the  works  of  their  hands,  that 
they  should  not  worship  devils  (demons,  i.  e.  departed 
souls)  and  idols  of  gold,  and  silver,  and  brass,  and 
stone,  and  of  wood;  which  neither  can  see,  nor  hear, 
nor  walk."  Rev.  ix.  20.  That  the  reference  here  is 
also  to  Rome,  is  evident.  The  fifth  trumpet  describes 
the  rise  and  progress  of  Mohammedanism.  The  sixth, 
the  incursions  of  the  Turks  upon  countries  nominally 
Christian.  "  The  rest  of  the  men,  therefore,  which 
were  not  killed  by  these  plagues,"  must  refer  to  those 
portions  of  nominal  Christendom,  which  were  not 
subdued  by  the  followers  of  the  Arabian  prophet. 
These  countries  were  precisely  those  occupied  by  the 
Papacy. 

18* 


202  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

Other  passages  of  Scripture,  charging  idolatry  upon 
the  Papacy,  may  be  found  in  the  17th  and  18th  chap- 
ters of  the  book  of  Revelation.  In  these  chapters, 
this  apostate  church  is  called,  in  reference  to  these 
idolatries,  "The  great  whore,"  "The  mother  of 
harlots;"  and  it  is  said  of  her,  that  "all  nations  have 
drunk  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  her  fornication." 
That  whoredom  and  fornication  refer  to  idolatry,  any 
one,  at  all  acquainted  with  the  writings  of  the  ancient 
prophets,  must  know.  If,  then,  as  we  have  already 
proven,  these  passages  refer  to  modern  Babylon,  that 
is,  to  Rome,  then  is  the  sin  of  idolatry  predicted,  as 
one  of  the  strongest  marks  by  which  Antichrist  may 
be  distinguished. 

It  is  well  known,  that  no  charge  brought  against 
Papists,  is  more  offensive,  than  that  of  idolatry.  Gre- 
gory the  Second,  in  his  letter  to  the  emperor  Leo,  in 
which  he  undertakes  to  repel  the  charge  of  idolatry, 
says,  "  The  former  idols  were  the  fanciful  representa- 
tions of  phantoms,  or  demons,  at  a  time  when  the  true 
God  had  not  manifested  his  person  in  any  visible  like- 
ness. The  latter  are  the  genuine  forms  of  Christ,  his 
mother,  and  his  saints,  who  had  approved,  by  a  crowd 
of  miracles,  the  innocence  and  merit  of  this  relative 
worship."*  Here,  this  kind  of  worship  is  called  rela- 
tive; and  is  said  to  be  both  innocent  and  meritorious. 
The  opponent,  also,  of  McGavin,  uses  the  following 
language :  "  No  one  is  ignorant,  that  the  heathens 
worshipped  Diana  and  Venus  with  divine  honours,  as 
deities;  but,  to  say  that  the  Church  of  Rome  pays  the 
same  adoration  to  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary,  is  con- 
trary to  truth."t 

Such  statements  as  these,  however,  can  deceive  no 
one  acquainted  with  either  pagan  or  Jewish  antiquity. 
It  is  entirely  certain,  that  the  ancient  pagan  idolaters 
uniformly  recognized  one  Supreme  Being.  The  gods, 
therefore,  which  they  worshipped,  were  subordinate 
deities;  indeed,  they  were,  for  the  most  part,  the  souls 
of  departed  sages   and  heroes.     In  speaking  of  the 

*  Gibbon's  Rome,  cb.  xlix.  t  Protestant,  vol.  ii.  eh.  clix. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  203 

idolatry  of  the  ancient  Egyptians,  from  whom  the 
Greeks  borrowed  most  of  their  mythology,  Shnckford 
says:  "In  time,  they  looked  over  the  catalogue  of 
their  ancestors,  and  appointed  a  worship  for  such  as 
had  been  more  eminently  famous  in  their  generation ; 
and  having  before  this  made  pillars,  statues,  or  images 
in  memory  of  them,  they  paid  their  worship  before 
these,  and  so  introduced  this  sort  of  idolatry."*  The 
following  is  the  language  of  that  ancient  Greek  poet, 
Hesiod  :  "  After  this  generation  (the  primitive  fathers 
of  the  human  race)  were  dead,  they  were,  by  the  will 
of  great  Jupiter,  promoted  to  be  demons,  keepers  of 
mortal  men,  observers  of  their  good  and  evil  works, 
clothed  in  air,  always  walking  about  the  earth,  givers  of 
riches,"  &c.t  Plato  also  says,  that  "  Hesiod  and  many 
other  poets  speak  excellently,  who  affirm,  that  when 
good  men  die,  they  attain  great  honour  and  dignity, 
and  become  demons;"  (objects  of  worship  and  vene- 
ration.) This  philosopher  also  teaches,  that  "all  those 
who  die  valiantly  in  war,  are  of  Hesiod's  golden 
generation,  and  are  made  demons  (gods)  and  that  we 
ought  for  ever  after  to  serve  and  adore  their  sepulchres 
as  the  sepulchres  of  demons.";}; 

The  following  is  Plato's  explanation  of  what  he 
means  by  demons:  "Every  demon  is  a  middle  being 
between  God  and  mortals.  God  is  not  approached 
immediately  by  man,  but  all  the  commerce  and  inter- 
course between  God  and  men  is  performed  by  the 
mediation  of  demons.  Demons  are  reporters  and  car- 
riers from  men  to  the  gods,  and  again  from  the  gods 
to  men,  of  the  supplications  and  prayers  of  the  one, 
and  of  the  injunctions  and  rewards  of  devotion  from 
the  other."§ 

It  is  just  as  true,  then,  that  the  demons  and  idols  of 
ancient  paganism  have  a  foundation  in  truth  and  rea- 
son, as  that  the  saints  (demons)  and  images  of  modern 
Rome  have.  The  demons  of  Hesiod  and  Plato,  and 
of  the  ancient  world  generally,  were  the  souls  of  de- 

*  Vol.  i.  B.  v.     Refer,  to  Diod.  Sie.  i.  sec.  11. 

t  Parkhurst's  Lexicon  in  verbo.  t  Ibidem.  §  Ibidem. 


204  THE  PArACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

parted  worthies.  The  images  and  statues,  too,  hy 
which  they  were  worshipped,  were  also  the  represen- 
tations of  these  deceased  heroes  and  sages.  Their 
worship  was  also  maintained  to  be  respective — i.  e. 
they  were  worshipped  as  mediators  between  the  su- 
preme God  and  mortal  men.  Pagan  idolatry,  there- 
fore, can  be  defended  upon  the  very  same  ground 
which  is  advocated  for  modern  Romish  idolatry.  If, 
therefore,  the  one  be  condemned,  the  other  cannot  be 
justified. 

Is  it  true  then,  that  modern  Rome  maintains  a  wor- 
ship of  this  kind  ?  The  following  are  some  of  the  de- 
crees of  Trent  on  this  subject.  All  Catholic  bishops 
and  priests  are  required  to  "  instruct  the  faithful  con- 
cerning the  intercession  and  invocation  of  saints,  the 
honour  due  to  relics,  and  the  lawful  use  of  images, 
teaching  that  it  is  a  good  and  useful  thing  suppliantly 
to  invoke  them,  and  to  flee  to  their  help,  prayers  and 
assistance."  "  Let  them  teach  also,  that  the  holy  bodies 
of  the  holy  martyrs  and  others  living  with  Christ  are 
to  be  venerated  by  the  faithful,  since  by  them  God 
bestows  many  benefits  upon  men."  "  Moreover,  let 
them  teach,  that  the  images  of  Christ,  of  the  Virgin, 
mother  of  God,  and  of  other  saints,  are  to  be  had  and 
retained,  especially  in  churches,  and  due  honour  and 
veneration  rendered  to  them.  The  honour,  however, 
with  which  they  are  regarded,  is  referred  to  those, 
who  are  represented  by  them;  so  that  we  adore  Christ, 
and  venerate  the  saints,  whose  likenesses  these  images 
bear,  when  we  kiss  them,  and  uncover  our  heads  in 
their  presence,  and  prostrate  ourselves."  "  Quas  oscu- 
lamur,  et  coram  quibus/caput  aperimus,  et  procumbi- 
mus."*  This  council  proceeds  however  still  farther; 
it  authorizes  representations  or  images  of  the  invisible 
God  !!  It  gives  however  this  caution,  "that  when  the 
Deity  is  thus  represented,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed,  that 
the  same  can  be  seen  by  our  bodily  eyes,  or  that  a 
likeness  of  God  can  be  given  in  colour  or  figure;" 
"non  propterea  Divinitatem  figurari,  quasi  coloribus 

*  Sessio  xxv.  De  Invocatione,  &c. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  205 

aut  figuris  exprimi  possit."  Strictly  in  accordance  with 
this  permission  of  the  council,  papists  frequently  re- 
present God  the  Father  as  an  old  man,  God  the  Son 
as  a  young  man,  on  his  right,  and  God  the  Spirit,  as 
a  dove  hovering  over  them  ! ! ! 

The  following  is  the  language  of  Dens. 

"  What  is  meant  by  an  image  ? 

"  A  similitude  or  representation  of  some  existing 
thing,  expressed  for  that  thing  as  a  copy. 

"How  does  it  differ  from  an  idol  ? 

"Because  an  idol  is  a  likeness  representing  that, 
which  either  simply  does  not  exist,  or  certainly  is  not 
such  as  that  which  is  worshipped ;  but  an  image  is  a 
similitude  of  a  thing  which  really  exists,  as  of  a  man. 

"  Prove  that  the  images  of  Christ  and  of  the  saints 
are  to  be  worshipped. 

"  It  is  proven  in  the  first  place  from  the  council  of 
Trent."  He  afterwards  asserts,  "  however  this  may 
be,  it  is  sufficient  for  us  against  sectarians  to  state, 
that  all  Catholics  teach  and  prove  that  the  images  of 
the  saints  are  to  be  worshipped." 

In  speaking  of  the  kind  of  worship  to  be  rendered 
the  saints,  &c,  Dens  says,  "  the  images  of  the  saints 
are  worshipped  with  the  respective  veneration  of  du- 
lia;  of  the  Divine  Virgin,  with  the  relative  worship 
of  hyperdulia,  of  Christ  and  of  God,  with  the  re- 
spective worship  of  latria." 

Besides,  then,  the  decrees  of  Trent,  which  are  bind- 
ing upon  all  Catholics,  here  is  one  of  their  distin- 
guished theologians,as  composedly  defending  and  illus- 
trating the  duty  of  image  and  saint-worship,  as  the 
sincerest  Protestant  would  illustrate  and  enforce  the 
duties  of  faith  and  repentance  ! 

The  late  Pope  Gregory  the  XVI.  in  one  of  his  ency- 
clical letters  uses  the  following  language.  "Now, 
that  all  these  events  may  come  to  pass  happily  and 
successfully,  let  us  lift  up  our  eyes  and  our  hands  to 
the  most  holy  Virgin  Mary,  who  alone  has  destroyed 
all  heresies,  and  is  our  greatest  confidence,  even  the 
whole  foundation  of  our  hope  !  "  * 

*  Papal  Rome  as  it  is,  page  136. 


206         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

When  such  sentiments  are  advocated  and  published 
by  councils,  doctors,  and  popes,  it  is  not  wonderful 
that  the  same  idolatry  should  pervade  the  mass  of  the 
people.  In  the  Ursuline  Manual,  designed  "  for  form- 
ing youth  to  the  practice  of  solid  piety,"  and  having 
the  sanction  of  the  "Right  Rev.  Bishop  Hughes," 
among  others  are  the  following  prayers.  "  A  prayer 
to  St.  Augustine" — "0  glorious  St.  Augustine  !  the 
light  and  oracle  of  the  faithful!  penetrated  with  vene- 
ration for  thy  virtues,  I  choose  thee  for  my  Father, 
my  Protector,  and  my  Advocate.  I  most  humbly  be- 
seech thee  to  have  compassion  on  my  youth,  and  to 
protect  me  in  those  dangers  which  thou  well  knowest, 
are  attendant  on  my  inexperienced  age,"  &c.  Next 
follows,  "A  prayer  to  St.  Angela,  Foundress  of  the 
Ursuline  order."  "Most  blessed  St.  Angela,  who  art 
now  in  possession  of  that  eternal  crown  which  is  pro- 
mised to  those  who  instruct  others  unto  justice,  permit 
me  to  have  recourse  to  thee,  as  to  my  glorious  patron- 
ess, and  to  choose  thee  for  my  special  advocate  before 
the  throne  of  God.  In  union  with  all  those  happy 
souls,  who,  under  God,  are  indebted  to  thee,  for  the 
glory  they  now  enjoy  in  heaven,  I  thank  God  for  hav- 
ing raised  thee  up,  to  provide  for  millions  the  great 
blessings  of  religious  instruction.  0  glorious  patron- 
ess and  mother  of  the  weakest  portion  of  Christ's 
flock,  do  not  abandon  thy  charge,  now,  that  thou 
seest  more  clearly  than  ever  the  dangers  to  which 
youth  is  exposed."* 

The  following  are  prayers  extracted  from  the  Catho- 
lic Manual,  having  the  sanction  of  Archbishop  Whit- 
field, and  designed  "  for  the  use  of  Christians  in  every 
state  of  life."  "  Holy  Mary,  Virgin,  Mother  of  God ! 
I  this  day  choose  thee  for  my  Mother,  Queen,  Patron- 
ess and  Advocate  ;  and  I  firmly  resolve  never  to  de- 
part, either  by  word  or  action  from  the  duty  1  owe 
thee,  or  suffer  those  committed  to  my  charge  to  say  or 
do  anything  against  thy  honour.  Receive  me  therefore 
as  thy  servant  for  ever,  assist  me  in  all  the  actions  of 

*  Ursuline  Manual,  pp.  350,  351. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  207 

my  whole  life,  and  forsake  me  not  at  the  hour  of  my 
death."  The  following  prayer  is  addressed  to  "  the 
Monthly  Patron."*  "  0  thou  blessed  inhabitant  of 
the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  who  hast  been  appointed  by 
the  divine  Goodness  to  be  my  patron  during  this 
month ;  defend  me  by  thy  intercession  from  all  dan- 
gers of  soul  and  body ;  obtain,  that  I  may  be  a  faith- 
ful imitator  of  thy  virtues,  and  that  the  fire  of  divine 
love  may  be  more  and  more  kindled  in  my  heart."! 

Here  then  are  manuals  and  prayer-books,  putting 
into  the  lips  of  youth  and  Christians,  direct  addresses 
and  supplications  to  mere  creatures.  The  knee  is  bent, 
the  lips  opened,  and  petitions  expressed  to  absent  and 
distant  saints!  What  is  this?  All,  except  papists, 
can  see  that  it  is  not  only  idolatry,  but  idolatry  in  one 
of  its  worst  forms. 

It  is  sometimes  attempted  to  justify  this  creature- 
worship,  by  comparing  it  with  the  petitions  which  be- 
lievers offer  for  each  other  on  earth.  But  nothing  is 
more  unlike.  We  may  ask  our  friends  to  pray  for  us 
without  idolatry,  but  we  cannot  pray  to  the  saints 
without  idolatry.  In  the  former  case  we  commune 
with  creatures  as  creatures.  In  the  latter,  we  ascribe 
to  them  divine  attributes,  and  render  to  them  divine 
homage.  Hence,  the  opponent  of  McGavin  does  not 
hesitate  to  say :  "I  know  that  the  saints  in  heaven  are 
in  a  state  of  perfection  and  glory,  and  that  they  know 
what  passes  in  the  hearts  of  men  upon  earth;  but  how 
is  not  for  me  to  inquire  or  explain."^  Here  the  attri- 
bute of  Divine  omniscence  is  affirmed  as  the  property 
of  creatures.  And  if  such  creatures  possess  one  such 
perfection,  of  course  they  possess  others.  Hence  they 
are  even  in  the  highest  sense  deified! 

If  then  there  ever  has  been,  or  can  be,  a  system  of 
idolatry  or  creature-worship  on  earth,  the  Romish  sys- 
tem is  such.  True,  we  are  to  expect  those  men  who 
are  engaged  in  such  practices  to  defend  and  maintain 
them.  And  inasmuch  as  they  profess  to  be  Christians, 
we  must,  of  course,  expect  them  so  to  alter,  change, 

*  Ursuline  Manual,  p.  258.         t  lb.  p.  273.         \  Prot.  ii.,  clix. 


208  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

and  interpret  Scripture,  as  to  make  it  consist  in  their 
view,  with  such  modes  of  devotion  and  worship.  In 
all  this,  however,  Rome  gives  to  the  world  the  strong- 
est possible  proof  of  her  judicial  blindness,  and  only- 
works  out  and  proves  the  theorem,  that  she  is  "  Ba- 
bylon the  great,  the  mother  of  harlots  and  abomina- 
tions of  the  earth." 

Another  feature,  therefore,  of  Antichrist  is  establish- 
ed upon  Papal  Rome.  Antichrist  was  to  be  idolatrous. 
Papal  Rome  both  is  idolatrous,  and  has  been  for  ages. 
Her  system,  of  angel,  saint,  image,  and  relic-worship, 
exceeds  even  the  grossest  superstitions  of  ancient 
Greece  or  Rome. 
• 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  209 


CHAPTER   VI. 


ANTICHRIST    A     BLASPHEMER 


Another  mark  of  Antichrist  is  blasphemy.  Blasphe- 
my refers  both  to  the  speech  and  actions  of  men. 
Thus  the  reproaches,  cast  by  the  Gentiles  upon  the 
name  and  character  of  God,  are  termed  by  the  Apostle 
Paul,  "  blasphemy."  Rom.  ii.  24.  And  so  also  Christ's 
assertion,  that  he  was  the  Son  of  God,  was  considered 
by  the  Jews  as  blasphemy.  "For  a  good  work,"  say 
they,  "we  stone  thee  not;  but  for  blasphemy;  and 
because  that  thou  being  a  man  makest  thyself  God." 
John  x.  33. 

Blasphemy  is  predicted  of  Antichrist  in  several  pas- 
sages of  Scripture.  It  is  said  of  the  little  horn,  which 
is  the  symbol  of  Antichrist,  "and  he  shall  speak  great 
words  against  the  Most  High."  Dan.  vii.  25.  The 
beast  also  which  John  saw,  and  which  is  also  a  sym- 
bol of  Antichrist,  had  upon  his  seven  heads  "  the 
names  of  blasphemy."  Rev.  xiii.  1.  It  is  also  said  of 
this  same  beast — "And  there  was  given  unto  him  a 
mouth  speaking  great  things  and  blasphemies,  and  he 
opened  his  mouth  in  blasphemy  against  God,  to  blas- 
pheme his  name,  and  his  tabernacle,  and  them  that 
dwell  in  heaven."  Rev.  xiii.  5,  6.  The  Apostle  Paul 
also  gives  us  the  following  description  of  the  same 
evil  power:  "  For  that  day  shall  not  come  except  there 
come  a  falling  away  first,  and  that  man  of  sin  be  re- 
vealed, the  son  of  perdition,  who  opposeth  and  exalt- 
eth  himself  above  all  that  is  called  God,  or  that  is  wor- 
shipped; so  that  he  as  God,  sitteth  in  the  temple  of 
God,  showing  himself  that  he  is  God."  2  Thess.  ii. 
3,4. 

Is  there  any  thing  then  in  the  actual  state  of  the 
19 


210         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

Papacy,  corresponding  to  these  predictions  concerning 
the  blasphemous  character  of  Antichrist?  To  this  I 
reply,  first,  that  the  very  office  of  the  Pope  is  blasphe- 
mous. What  that  office  is,  may  be  learned  from  the 
following  Romish  authorities.  One  of  the  canons  of 
the  papal  Church  says:  "  The  Pope, by  the  Lord's  ap- 
pointment, is  the  successor  of  the  blessed  Apostle  Peter, 
and  holds  the  place  of  the  Redeemer  himself  upon  the 
earth."  (Ipsius  Redemptoris  locum  in  terris  tenet.) 
Again,  "  The  Roman  pontiff  bears  the  authority  not 
of  a  mere  man,  but  of  the  true  God  upon  the  earth:" 
(sed  veri  Dei  vicem  gerit  in  terris.)  "Christ, the  King 
of  Kings,  and  Lord  of  Lords,  gave  to  the  Roman  pon- 
tiff, in  the  person  of  Peter,  the  plenitude  of  power;" 
(plenitudinem  potestatis.)  Again;  the  Doway  cate- 
chism asserts,  that  "  he  who  is  not  in  due  connexion 
and  subordination  to  the  Pope  and  general  councils, 
must  needs  be  dead,  and  cannot  be  accounted  a  mem- 
ber of  the  church,  since  from  the  Pope  and  general 
councils,  under  Christ,  we  have  our  spiritual  life  and 
motion  as  Christians."  The  following  language  is 
also  used:  "It  was  becoming,  since  the  chief  pontiff 
represents  the  person  of  Christ,  that  as,  during  Christ's 
earthly  ministry,  the  Apostles  stood  around  him,  so 
the  assembly  of  the  cardinals,  representing  the  apos- 
tolic college,  should  stand  before  the  Pope."  Again: 
"Whenever  there  is  any  question  concerning  the  pri- 
vileges of  the  apostolic  chair,  they  are  not  to  be  judged 
of  by  others.  The  Pope  alone  knows  how  to  deter- 
mine doubts  concerning  the  privileges  of  the  apostolic 
seat."* 

And  who  is  the  Pope?  A  man,  a  mere  man;  an 
uninspired  man;  often,  an  immoral  and  wicked  man! 
And  yet,  such  is  his  office,  such  his  prerogatives,  such 
his  pretensions!  Well  has  the  Apostle  said — "  He,  as 
God,  sitteth  in  the  temple  of  God,  showing  himself 
that  he  is  God."  Here  is  blasphemy,  blasphemy  of 
the  blackest  die. 

The  attributes  ascribed  to  the  Pope  in  this  office 

*  Bishop  Hopkins's  "Church  of  Rome,"  chap.  iii. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  211 

are  also  blasphemous.  Among  others,  the  Pope  is  con- 
sidered as  invested  with  the  three  following  powers : 
inspiration,  infallibility,  and  absolute  authority.  "The 
supreme  pontiff,"  says  Dens,  "determining  from  the 
throne  matters  relating  to  faith  or  customs,  is  infallible; 
which  infallibility  proceeds  from  the  special  assistance 
of  the  Holy  Spirit."*  He  also  thus  describes  the  author- 
ity of  the  Pope:  "Hence  it  follows,  that  all  the  faithful, 
even  bishops,  and  patriarchs,  are  obliged  to  obey  the 
Roman  pontiff;  also  that  he  must  be  obeyed  in  all 
things,  which  concern  the  Christian  religion,  and  there- 
fore, in  faith  and  customs,  in  rites,  ecclesiastical  disci- 
pline, &c.  Hence,  the  perverse  device  of  the  Quesnel- 
ites  falls  to  the  ground ;  namely,  that  the  Pope  is  not 
to  be  obeyed,  except  in  those  things  which  he  enjoins 
conformably  to  Scripture  !  !"t  Strictly  in  accordance 
with  this  teaching  of  the  theologian,  is  the  published 
doctrine  of  the  late  Pope  Gregory  XVI. — "  Let  all 
remember,"  says  he,  "  that  the  principle  of  sound 
doctrine,  with  which  the  people  are  to  be  imbued, 
must  emanate  from,  and  that  the  rule  and  administra- 
tion of  the  universal  church  belongs  to,  the  Roman 
pontiff,  to  whom  was  given  the  full  power  of  feeding, 
ruling,  and  governing  the  universal  church  by  Christ 
our  Lord."J 

Here  then  is  a  frail,  erring  mortal,  arrogating  to 
himself,  and  that  by  virtue  of  office  only,  the  attri- 
butes of  the  Deity  !  The  Spirit  of  God  is  with  him, 
infallibility  is  his;  and  he  is  to  be  obeyed,  even  where 
he  enacts  laws,  and  teaches  doctrine  contrary  to  Scrip- 
ture !  Surely  this  is  blasphemy — this  is  u  to  speak 
great  words  against  the  Most  High." 

The  homage  rendered  to  the  Pope  is  of  the  same 
blasphemous  character.  The  following  is  the  descrip- 
tion of  a  scene,  which  took  place  a  few  years  since 
at  Rome,  and  which  was  witnessed  by  an  American 
citizen.  "A  most  superb  procession  took  place  on  the 
morning  of  the  fesla  of  the  annunciation,  which  I 

*  Mor.  Theol.  on  Primacy. 

f  Ibidem.  t  Voice  from  Rome,  p.  14. 


212  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

with  thousands  of  others,  ran  to  see.  The  Pope, 
riding  on  a  white  mule,  (I  suppose  to  imitate  our 
Saviour's  entry  into  Jerusalem,)  came,  attended  by 
his  horse-guards,  who  rode  before  to  clear  the  way, 
mounted  on  prancing  black  horses;  and  accompanied 
by  such  a  flourish  of  trumpets  and  kettle-drums,  as  to 
wear  far  more  the  appearance  of  a  martial  parade, 
than  of  a  religious  ceremony.  All  were  dressed  in 
splendid  full  uniform,  and  in  every  cap  waved  a 
myrtle  sprig,  the  sign  of  rejoicing.  The  cardinals 
followed,  and  the  rear  was  brought  up  by  a  bare- 
headed priest  on  a  mule,  with  the  host  in  a  golden 
cup,  the  sight  of  which  operated  like  a  talisman  on 
every  soul  around  me,  for  every  knee  bent.  The 
Pope  himself  was  clothed  in  robes  of  white  and  silver, 
and  as  he  passed  along  the  crowds  of  gazing  people 
that  lined  the  streets  and  filled  the  windows,  he  forgot 
not  incessantly  to  repeat  his  benediction,  a  twirl  of 
three  fingers,  typical  of  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy 
Ghost;  the  little  ringer  representing  the  latter.  Many 
tiresome  ceremonies  followed  his  entry  into  the  church. 
He  was  seated  on  his  throne ;  all  the  cardinals  suc- 
cessively approached,  kissed  his  hand,  retired  a  step 
or  two,  gave  three  low  nods,  one  to  him  in  front,  as 
personifying  God  the  Father;  one  to  the  right,  intend- 
ed for  the  Son ;  and  one  to  the  left  for  the  Holy 
Ghost!"  Speaking  of  another  procession  on  Palm 
Sunday,  the  same  writer  says : — "  The  Pope  was 
clothed  this  time  in  scarlet  and  gold,  and  a  most 
sumptuous  figure  he  made.  The  cardinals  were 
dressed  in  their  morning  robes,  of  a  violet  colour, 
richly  trimmed  with  antique  lace,  with  mantles  of 
ermine,  and  scarlet  trains,  but  these  were  soon 
changed  for  garments  of  gold.  The  same  round 
of  ceremonies  were  performed  as  I  related,  on  the 
festa  of  the  annunciation.  Two  palm  branches  re- 
ceived the  benediction  of  the  Pope,  after  having  pass- 
ed through  a  cloud  of  incense.  The  procession  then 
began  to  move  off,  two  and  two,  beginning  with  the 
lowest  clerical  monk  ;  and  at  last  the  Pope  himself  in 
his  chair  of  state,  under  a  crimson  canopy,  and  borne 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  213 

on  the  shoulders  of  four  men.  Great  pomp  and  splen- 
dour marked  this  parade.  The  crowns  and  mitres  of 
the  bishops  and  patriarchs,  white  and  crimson,  glitter- 
ing with  jewels,  and  set  with  precious  stones;  their 
long,  rich  dresses,  the  slow  and  uniform  march  of  the 
procession,  and  the  gay  crowds  surrounding,  presented 
quite  an  imposing  appearance."* 

And  this  is  the  vicar  of  Jesus  Christ !  this  the  suc- 
cessor of  the  laborious  and  self-denying  Peter  !  One 
would  think  that  the  Pope  much  more  resembles  some 
image  of  the  ancient  Jupiter,  than  either  Christ  or  his 
Apostle.  But  look  at  the  worship  rendered  to  the 
Pope  on  his  throne  !  He  is  adored  as  the  personifi- 
cation of  the  Holy  Trinity  !  And  this  too,  not  by  igno- 
nant  fanatics,  but  by  illustrious  cardinals !  Nor  does  it 
occur  privately,  or  occasionally;  but  in  the  most  pub- 
lic assemblies,  indeed  before  the  world ;  and  on  all  great 
and  solemn  occasions  !  And  is  not  this  blasphemy  ? 
What!  shall  a  mortal,  a  sinner,  thus  receive  the  wor- 
ship of  Jehovah  ?  Does  a  man  pretend  to  be  the 
representation  of  the  Trinity?  All  this,  however, 
but  fulfils  the  extraordinary  predictions  of  Paul,  con- 
cerning this  same  wicked  power: — "Who  opposeth 
and  exalteth  himself  above  all  that  is  called  God,  or 
that  is  worshipped." 

The  acts  of  the  pontificate  are  of  the  same  blas- 
phemous character.  Exalted  as  he  is  to  the  very 
acme  of  both  temporal  and  spiritual  jurisdiction,  the 
Pope  of  Rome  imagines  himself  to  be  a  very  god  on 
earth.  Bishops  and  kings  are  but  his  footstool,  while 
even  heaven  and  hell  are  locked  or  unlocked  at  his 
pleasure.  The  following  are  a  few  of  the  papal  max- 
ims ascribed  originally  to  Gregory  VII.  "  The  Ro- 
man Church  is  the  only  one  that  God  has  founded. 
The  title  of  universal,  belongs  to  the  Roman  pontiff 
alone.  He  alone  can  depose  and  absolve  bishops. 
He  has  a  right  to  depose  emperors.  All  princes 
must  kiss  his  feet.  No  chapter,  no  book  can  be  re- 
puted canonical  without  his  authority.     His  name  is 

*  Dr.  Sturtevant. 
19* 


214         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

the  only  one  to  be  uttered  in  the  churches.  It  is  the 
only  name  in  the  world.  He  alone  has  the  right  to 
assume  the  attributes  of  empire."*  And  in  the  exer- 
cise of  these  fearful  prerogatives,  see  the  Roman  Pon- 
tiff, from  his  lofty  balcony,  pronouncing  from  year  to 
year,  the  awful  anathemas  of  the  bull  "  In  coena 
Domini."  The  following  is  one  of  these  thundering 
curses:  "  We  excommunicate  and  anathematize  in  the 
name  of  God  Almighty,  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost, 
and  by  the  authority  of  the  blessed  Apostles  Peter  and 
Paul,  and  by  our  own;  all  Hussites,  Wickliffites,  Lu- 
therans, Zuinglians,  Calvinists,  Huguenots,  Anabap- 
tists, Trinitarians  and  apostates  from  the  Christian 
faith,  and  all  other  heretics,  by  whatsoever  name  they 
are  called,  and  of  whatsoever  sect  they  be;  as  also 
their  adherents,  receivers,  favourers,  and  generally  any 
defenders  of  them;  together  with  all,  who  without  our 
authority,  as  that  of  the  apostolic  see,  knowingly  read, 
keep,  print,  or  in  any  wise,  for  any  cause  whatever, 
publicly  or  privately,  on  any  pretext  or  colour,  defend 
their  books,  containing  heresy  or  treating  of  religion; 
as  also  schismatics,  and  those  who  withdraw  them- 
selves, or  recede  obstinately  from  the  obedience  of  us, 
or  of  the  bishop  of  Rome  for  the  time  being." 

An  Apostle  has  said,  "  judge  nothing  before  the 
time:"  and  again — "vengeance  is  mine,  saith  the 
Lord."  Here,  however,  we  see  the  Pope  of  Rome 
thundering  his  curses  upon  his  enemies  with  a  liberal 
hand;  yea,  "cursing,  whom  the  Lord  has  not  cursed." 
This,  however,  has  been  predicted  of  this  blasphe- 
mous power.  "  And  he  opened  his  mouth  in  blas- 
phemy against  God,  to  blaspheme  his  name,  and  his 
tabernacle,  and  them  that  dwell  therein." 

Here,  then,  is  the  antitype  of  the  beast  which  John 
saw  rising  out  of  the  sea,  "  having  seven  heads  and 
ten  horns,  and  upon  his  horns  ten  crowns,  and  upon 
his  heads,  the  names  of  blasphemy."  Here  is  another 
deep  and  prophetic  mark  of  the  great  Antichrist. 
The  very  chair  of  the  Pope,  his  high  pretensions,  his 

*  Court  of  Rome — Persecutions  of  Popery. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  215 

arrogance  and  pride,  his  anathemas  and  curses,  the 
worship  he  requires  from  his  subjects,  and  the  false 
doctrines  and  rules,  which  in  the  name  of  God,  and 
as  God,  he  enforces  upon  men,  all  these  things  prove 
him  to  be  the  blaspheming  king,  of  which  Daniel  and 
Paul,  and  John,  severally  speak  j  all  proclaim  him 
Antichrist. 


216  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 


CHAPTER  VII. 


ANTICHRIST     AN    INNOVATOR. 

The  introduction  of  changes  in  divine  institutions  and 
laws,  is  another  prophetic  feature  in  Antichrist.  Thus 
Daniel  predicts  of  him;  "  and  he  shall  think  to  change 
times  and  laws" — mi  pr>T  wwvh  i2D>v  The  Seventy 
render  the  passage  into  Greek  thus — xai  vrtovo^ast  tov 
aMotwcrat  xaipov$  xat,  lopovg.  The  Vulgate  translates  it 
into  the  following  Latin :  "  Et  putabit  mutare  tem- 
pora  et  legem."  The  following  is  the  English  of  the 
Doway  Bible — "  And  he  shall  think  himself  able  to 
change  times  and  laws."  Daniel  vii.  26. 

The  character  of  these  times  and  laws  is  not  only 
to  be  inferred  from  the  context,  but  is  distinctly  taught 
us  by  the  Apostle  Paul.  "  He,  as  God,  sitteth  in  the 
temple  of  God,  showing  himself  that  he  is  God." 
2  Thess.  ii.  4.  TlTe  meaning  of  this  passage  is,  that 
Antichrist,  arrogating  to  himself  divine  authority  and 
honours,  hesitates  not  to  make  those  changes  and  alter- 
ations in  the  institutions  of  heaven,  which  God  alone 
has  the  exclusive  right  either  to  establish  or  annul. 
Some  of  these  changes  are  definitely  expressed  by  the 
same  Apostle — "  forbidding  to  marry,  and  command- 
ing to  abstain  from  meats,  which  God  hath  created  to 
be  received  with  thanksgiving  of  them  which  believe 
and  know  the  truth."  1  Tim.  iv.  3.  These  passages 
refer  to  Antichrist;  and  the  latter  teaches  most  clearly, 
who  that  Antichrist  is.  Who  is  it  that  forbids  to 
marry?  Who  is  it  that  commands  a  great  variety  of 
fasts  and  abstinences?  It  is  the  Church  of  Rome. 
While  God  has  left  both  marrying  and  fasting  as 
voluntary  tilings  to  his  people,  and  while  the  New 
Testament  teaches  that  many  of  the  Apostles,  the 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  217 

brethren  of  the  Lord,  and  even  Peter  (1  Cor.  ix.  4,) 
had  wives,  the  Papacy  dares  to  step  in  between  God 
and  the  consciences  of  men,  and  to  interpose  its  au- 
thority as  absolute  and  imperative!  The  following 
are  some  among  the  many  changes  which  the  Papacy 
has  introduced  in  divine  ordinances  and  laws.  We 
have  already  noticed  its  denial  of  the  Scriptures  as  the 
sole  rule  of  faith,  its  perversion  of  the  doctrine  of  jus- 
tification by  faith,  its  virtual  subversion  of  the  sole 
mediatorship  of  Christ,  and  its  utter  destruction  of  the 
Christian  liberties  of  God's  people;  we  now  proceed 
to  increase  the  catalogue  of  alterations  in  the  divine 
economy  and  law,  which  this  wicked  power  has 
made,  during  the  lapse  of  past  centuries. 

The  Papacy  has  virtually  abolished  the  obligation 
of  the  moral  law.  Not  only  is  the  second  com- 
mandment made  a  part  of  the  first,  in  the  more 
systematic  arrangement  of  doctrines  in  the  Romish 
Church,  and  the  tenth  divided  into  two,  to  complete 
the  number;  but  in  their  catechisms  for  the  young, 
the  second  is  entirely  omitted  !*  Their  system  too,  of 
saint  and  image-worship,  even  where  the  literal  law 
is  retained,  completely  subverts  its  authority.  The 
fourth  commandment  has  shared  a  similar  fate.  True, 
it  is  retained  verbally,  but  then  its  force  and  obliga- 
tion are  entirely  destroyed.  The  multiplication  of 
other  holy  days  by  this  church,  has  caused  the  Sab- 
bath as  a  divine  institution,  proportionably  to  sink  in 
the  estimation  of  all  Catholic  communities.  Dens,  in 
in  his  treatise  on  theology,  on  the  fourth  command- 
ment asks  this  question — "  What  is  taught  by  this 
third  (4th)  precept  in  the  new  law?"  The  answer 
given  is,  "Principally  these  three  things — 1.  That 
certain  specified  days  are  to  be  kept  holy.  2.  That  they 
are  to  be  kept  holy  by  external  divine  worship,  by 
hearing  masses.  3.  That  the  same  are  to  be  kept  holy 
by  abstaining  from  servile  labours."  He  next  asks, 
"  Which  days  are  those  appointed  to  be  kept  holy?" 
The  answer  is,  "  In  the  first  place,  are  the  Lord's 
days;  next,  festival  days!"     Here,  saints/  days  and 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  D. 


218         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

other  set  days  appointed  by  the  Church  of  Rome,  are 
actually  placed  in  the  Decalogue  as  of  Divine  appoint- 
ment !  More  than  one  hundred  of  these  human  Sab- 
baths are  imposed  upon  the  dupes  of  Rome,  under 
the  authority  of  Him  who  spake  from  Sinai,  and  who 
said,  "  Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy/' 
Hence  the  ever  occurring  interruptions  to  weekly  la- 
bour in  Catholic  countries,  hence  the  declension  in  na- 
tional prosperity  of  all  those  countries.  God's  economy 
has  been  abolished,  and  man's  substituted.  But  this 
evil  also  operates  against  the  sanctity  of  the  weekly 
Sabbath.  This  day  is  put  on  a  footing  with  the  other 
holy  days ;  it  is  devoted  to  plays  and  sports,  by  those 
who  should  be  taught,  "  not  to  think  their  own 
thoughts,  or  to  speak  their  own  words  on  God's  holy 
day."  "As  to  hunting,  says  Dens,  and  fishing,  unless 
accompanied  with  great  noise  or  fatigue,  they  are  law- 
ful recreations  on  the  Lord's  day !  Many  suppose  that 
it  is  not  unlawful  to  fish  with  a  reed,  hook,  or  small 
nets,  for  the  purpose  of  recreation  ;  and  they  think  the 
same  of  hunting  on  a  small  scale." — He  also  intro- 
duces two  other  authorities  as  advocating  the  selling 
of  clothes,  shoes,  and  other  things,  to  servants  and  la- 
bourers, on  the  Sabbath,  and  represents  it  as  doubtful 
whether  painting  is  not  lawful  on  that  day  !  If  such 
be  the  teachings  of  sound  Roman  Catholic  divines  on 
the  sanctity  of  the  Sabbath,  what  shall  be  said  of  the 
practices  of  the  people  generally  ?  Hence  in  all  Catho- 
lic countries,  after  morning  mass,  and  certain  external 
forms  of  worship,  the  Sabbath  is  spent  as  a  day  of  re- 
creation and  sport.* 

The  fifth  commandment  has  been  set  aside  by  the 
Papacy  in  all  those  numerous  cases  in  which  children 
have  been  compelled  by  the  church  to  inform  against 
heretical  parents,  and  in  which  parents  have  been 
constrained  to  turn  the  accusers  of  their  own  off- 
spring. The  following  is  the  testimony  of  one  who 
was  born  a  Roman  Catholic,  and  long  continued 
such.t  "  Every  year  there  is  publicly  read  (in  Spain) 

*  Sec  Appendix,  Note  E.  t  Rev.  Joseph  Blanco  White. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  219 

at  church,  a  proclamation  or  bull  from  the  Pope,  com- 
manding parents  to  accuse  their  children,  children 
their  parents,  husbands  their  wives,  and  wives  their 
husbands,  of  any  words  or  actions  against  the  Roman 
Catholic  religion.  They  are  told  that  whoever  dis- 
obeys this  command  not  only  incurs  damnation  for  his 
own  soul,  but  is  the  cause  of  the  same  to  those  whom 
he  wishes  to  spare.  So  that  many  have  had  for  their 
accusers,  their  fathers  and  mothers,  without  knowing 
to  whom  they  owed  their  sufferings  under  the  Inqui- 
sitors; for  the  name  of  the  informer  is  kept  a  most 
profound  secret,  and  the  accused  is  tried  without  ever 
seeing  the  witnesses  against  him."*  Here,  then, 
according  to  papistical  policy,  the  obligations  of  the 
fifth  commandment  are  subverted  by  the  tyrannical 
and  interposed  authority  of  the  priesthood. 

It  need  scarcely  be  affirmed,  here,  what  effects  the 
imposition  of  celibacy  upon  the  clergy  is  likely  to  pro- 
duce in  reference  to  the  seventh  commandment.  When 
such  celibacy  is  voluntary,  there  is  but  little  danger; 
where,  however,  it  is  forced,  there  is  always  danger 
to  the  party  upon  whom  it  is  thus  laid.  Even  Christ 
said  on  this  subject,  "  he  that  is  able  to  receive  it,  let 
him  receive  it."  Matt.  xix.  12.  The  Apostle  Paul 
also  gives  the  following  advice: — "  to  avoid  fornica- 
tion, let  every  man  have  his  own  wife."  1  Cor.  vii.  2. 
A  single  life,  according  to  Scripture,  should  be  volun- 
tary, wherever  adopted.  Every  man,  in  this  particu- 
lar, is  to  judge  for  himself.  But  the  Church  of  Rome 
forces  celibacy  upon  her  priesthood.  Can  any  one  be- 
lieve, that  this  arbitrary  law  can  extinguish  the  propen- 
sities of  nature?  or,  that  all  who  have  professedly  sub- 
mitted to  it,  have  really  led  chaste  and  virtuous  lives? 
Impossible!  And  if  the  seventh  commandment  be 
violated  by  the  priesthood,  is  it  likely  that  it  can  have 
its  proper  influence  among  all  the  multitudes  who 
constitute  the  entire  Catholic  community?  At  any 
rate,  any  one  can  see,  that  the  tendency  of  this  rule  is 
to  subvert  the  pure  morality  of  the  church. 

*  Preservative  against  Popery,  p.  5. 


220         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

The  sixth  and  eighth  commandments  have  both 
been  trampled  under  foot  by  the  Holy  Inquisition. 
The  great  object  of  this  court  seems  to  be  to  enrich 
the  church  by  murdering  its  enemies,  or  suspected 
friends.  In  Spain,  this  Holy  Court  directed  its  ener- 
gies at  first,  principally  against  the  Jews.  "  In  one 
year,"  says  McCrie,"  five  thousand  Jews  fell  a  sacri- 
fice to  popular  fury.*"  These  Jews  were  immensely 
rich,  and  their  property  became  the  possession  of  their 
malignant  persecutors.  In  the  very  year  in  which 
Luther  made  his  appearance  (1517),  in  Spain  alone, 
there  were  13,000  persons  burnt  alive,  8700  burnt  in 
effigy,  and  169,723  condemned  to  various  penances.t 
Is  it  possible  to  imagine  that  a  body  of  men,  who  can, 
on  slight  pretexts,  accuse,  condemn,  and  burn  worthy 
and  industrious  citizens,  and  then  take  possession  of 
their  property,  can  have  any  regard  for  either  the 
sixth  or  the  eighth  commandment? 

But  this  whole  law  is  virtually  abolished  by  the 
Tax-book  of  the  Roman  Chancery.  Here  crimes  are 
reduced  to  a  regular  scale  of  pecuniary  valuation.  Of 
course,  the  idea  that  a  transgressor  has  of  the  charac- 
ter of  his  sin,  is  the  amount  of  money  he  has  to  pay 
for  its  pardon.  The  following  are  a  few  items  from 
this  Tax-Book:  "  Robbing  a  church,  $2.50.  Perjury, 
forgery,  and  lying,  $2.  Robbery,  $3.  Burning  a 
house,  $2.75.  Eating  meat  in  Lent,  $2.75.  Killing 
a  layman,  $1.75.  Striking  a  priest,  $2.75.  Procuring 
abortion,  $1.50.  Priest  to  keep  a  concubine,  $2.25. 
Ravishing  a  virgin,  $2.  Murder  of  father,  mother, 
brother,  sister  or  wife,  $2.50.  Marrying  on  a  forbid- 
den day,  $10.  All  incest,  rapes,  adultery,  and  forni- 
cation, committed  by  a  priest,  with  the  joint  pardon 
of  the  other  parties  concerned,  $10.  Absolution  of 
all  crimes  together,  $12."J  According  to  this  scale 
of  the  Roman  Chancery,  not  only  are  human  laws 
made  equal,  and  even  superior  to  the  divine,  but 
crimes  the  most  atrocious  are  represented  as  venial;  a 

*  Reformation  in  Spain,  71.  X  Text-Book  of  Popery,  p.  2G3. 

t  Idem.  p.  83. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  221 

few  dollars  and  cents  cancel  the  account,  and  turn 
the  transgressor  forth  to  commit  new  depredations 
upon  the  law  of  God,  and  upon  human  society!  Thus 
does  the  Papacy  virtually  abolish  and  set  aside  the 
moral  law  itself. 

2.  We  notice  next  the  interference  of  the  Papacy 
with  marriage ;  an  institution  appointed  directly  by 
God,  older  than  any  other,  and  one  which  lies  at  the 
basis  of  society,  and  which  is  essential  to  the  purity 
of  any  community  whatever.  Every  reader  of  church 
history  will  perceive  an  early  tendency  in  the  church 
to  discountenance  marriage  in  her  clergy.  This  ten- 
dency was  farther  increased  by  the  monastic  life.  It 
was  afterwards  converted  into  an  ecclesiastical  law, 
and  marriage  in  a  priest  was  considered  a  more  hein- 
ous crime,  than  adultery  in  a  layman. 

That  such  an  unnatural  statute  has  no  countenance 
in  Scripture,  is  certain.  God  himself  has  said,  "  It  is 
not  good  for  man  to  be  alone."  Gen.  ii.  18.  Even 
the  high-priest  among  the  Jews  was  expected  to 
marry,  "and  he  shall  take  a  wife  in  her  virginity." 
Lev.  xxi.  13.  The  Apostle  Paul  also  says,  "  a  bishop 
must  be  the  husband  of  one  wife."  1  Tim.  iii.  2.  It 
is  also  manifest  that  Peter  and  several  of  the  Apostles 
were  married  men.  1  Cor.  ix.  4.  True,  Christ  and 
Paul  intimate,  that  under  given  circumstances  it  would 
be  better  for  ministers  not  to  marry.  Neither,  how- 
ever, makes  any  law  on  the  subject ;  but  leaves  it  to  the 
choice  of  ministers  themselves ;  the  Papacy,  however, 
"forbids  to  marry." 

Pope  Gregory  VII.  assembled  an  ecclesiastical  coun- 
cil at  Rome,  in  the  year  1074.  In  this  council  "it  was 
decreed,"  says  Mosheim,  "that  the  sacerdotal  orders 
should  abstain  from  marriage ;  and  that  such  of  them 
as  had  already  wives  or  concubines,  should  imme- 
diately dismiss  them,  or  quit  the  priestly  office.  These 
decrees  were  accompanied  with  circular  letters,  written 
by  the  pontiff  to  all  European  bishops,  enjoining  the 
strictest  obedience  to  this  solemn  council,  under  the 
severest  penalties." — "  No  sooner  was  the  law  con- 
cerning the  celibacy  of  the  clergy  published,"  remarks 

20 


222         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

the  same  historian,  "than  the  priests  in  the  several  pro- 
vinces of  Europe,  who  lived  in  the  bonds  of  marriage 
with  lawful  wives,  complained  loudly  of  the  severity 
of  this  council,  and  excited  the  most  dreadful  tumults 
in  the  greatest  part  of  the  European  provinces.  Many 
of  these  ecclesiastics  chose  rather  to  abandon  their 
spiritual  dignities,  and  to  quit  their  benefices,  that  they 
might  cleave  to  their  wives."  He  also  remarks: 
"  The  proceedings  of  Gregory  appeared  to  the  wiser 
part,  even  of  those  who  approved  of  the  celibacy  of 
the  clergy,  unjust  and  criminal  in  two  respects:  first, 
in  that  his  severity  fell  indiscriminately  and  with  equal 
fury  upon  the  virtuous  husband  and  the  licentious 
rake.  Secondly,  that  instead  of  chastising  the  mar- 
ried priests  with  wisdom  and  moderation,  he  gave 
them  over  to  the  civil  magistrate,  to  be  punished  as 
disobedient  and  unworthy  subjects,  with  the  loss  of 
their  substance,  and  with  the  most  shocking  marks  of 
undeserved  infamy  and  disgrace!!"*  How  powerless 
must  have  fallen  upon  the  ear  of  such  a  Pope,  the 
words  of  Christ — "Whom  God  hath  joined  together, 
let  not  man  put  asunder."  Matt.  xix.  6. 

Here  then  we  see  the  Papacy,  true  to  the  prophecy 
concerning  it,JDiit  in  direct  violation  of  the  laws  of 
God  and  of  society,  among  a  large  class  of  persons, 
annulling  an  institution,  of  which  it  is  said,  "mar- 
riage is  honourable  in  all."  The  object  of  such  a  law 
is  evident  enough — it  is  to  create  the  tools  of  papal 
power.  By  destroying  all  conjugal  ties  in  her  priest- 
hood, by  withering  in  the  heart  all  domestic  loves  and 
affections,  Rome  seeks  to  ally  to  the  chair  of  St.  Peter, 
a  vast  number  of  willing  minions,  who  will  go  at  her 
bidding,  and  who  shall  seek  in  despite  of  all  opposi- 
tion, to  establish  her  dominion  over  the  nations  of  the 
earth.  While,  however,  she  thus  seeks  to  increase  her 
authority,  she  but  exhibits  her  real  character,  and  de- 
monstrates to  the  world,  that  she  is  the  Antichrist, 
predicted  in  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

It  has  already  been  shown,  in  speaking  of  the 

*  Century  xi.  Part  ii.  Sec.  ii. 


THE   ANTICHRIST.  223 

apostasy  of  Rome,  how  the  gospel,  as  a  system  of 
grace  and  salvation,  has  been  corrupted  by  the  Papacy. 
Rome  has  also  perverted  and  changed  every  institu- 
tion and  ordinance  connected  with  the  gospel. 

3.  She  has  changed  and  corrupted  the  sacraments 
of  the  new  dispensation.  Any  reader  of  the  New 
Testament  will  readily  perceive,  that  Christ  appointed 
but  two  such  sacraments,  Baptism,  and  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per. Rome,  however,  has  ordained  seven — Baptism, 
Confirmation,  the  Eucharist,  Penance,  Extreme  Unc- 
tion, Orders,  and  Matrimony.  The  authority  for  such 
sacraments  is  thus  expressed  by  Dens:  "  The  primary 
reason  of  this,  is  the  will  of  Christ,  as  made  known  by 
divine  tradition  !  This  number  of  seven  is  also  insin- 
uated in  various  passages  of  Scripture.  Thus,  Prov. 
ix.  1,  it  is  said,  '  Wisdom,  which  is  Christ,  has  built 
a  house  for  herself,  that  is  the  church,  and  she  hath 
hewn  out  seven  pillars/  doubtless  the  seven  sacra- 
ments, which,  like  so  many  pillars  sustain  the  church! 
So  in  like  manner,  (Exod.  xxv.,)  by  the  seven  lamps, 
which  were  on  one  candlestick,  this  is  implied :  for 
there  are  seven  sacraments,  just  so  many  as  there  are 
lamps,  which  illumine  the  church."*  Such  is  the 
miserable  foundation  on  which  Rome  rests  her  doc- 
trine of  seven  sacraments ! 

But  she  has  changed  the  design  and  character  of  a 
sacrament.  The  sacraments  of  the  New  Testament 
are  but  the  external  signs  and  seals  of  internal  and 
spiritual  grace.  Rome,  however,  makes  them  the  ma- 
terial causes  of  grace.  The  council  of  Florence  uses 
the  following  language:  "These  our  sacraments  both 
contain  and  confer  grace,  upon  such  as  worthily  re- 
ceive them."  The  council  of  Trent  speaks  in  a  simi- 
lar manner — "  If  any  one  shall  say,  that  grace  is  not 
conferred  by  the  sacraments  of  the  new  law  them- 
selves by  their  own  power — (per  ipsa  novae  legis  Sa- 
cramenta  exopereoperato  non  conferri  gratiam) — but 
that  mere  belief  of  the  divine  promise  is  sufficient  to 
obtain  grace;  let  him  be  accursed." t     Dens  explains 

*  Dcns's  Thcol.  ch.  xxxiv.  t  De  Sacramentis  in  genere. 


224         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

the  mode  in  which  grace  is  conferred  by  these  sacra- 
ments. "  Sacraments  act  in  the  manner  of  natural 
agents,  whose  effect  is  more  or  less,  according  to  the 
greater  or  less  capacity  or  disposition  of  the  subject : 
which  disposition  still  has  no  efficiency ;  as  it  is  plain 
in  fire,  which  burns  dry  wood  more  effectually  than 
green,  although  the  dryness  is  merely  the  remover  of 
a  hindrance,  or  an  indispensable  requisite,  and  not  the 
efficient  cause  of  combustion."*  Here,  it  is  distinctly 
stated,  that  upon  the  same  principle  that  fire  burns 
wood,  sacraments  confer  grace  !  Grace  is  inherent  in 
the  sacrament ;  consequently,  the  application  of  the 
sacrament  to  the  subject,  as  naturally  sanctifies,  as  the 
application  of  fire  to  wood  burns»!  Hence  the  same 
author  says:  "The  power  of  regeneration  isattributed 
not  less  to  the  water,  than  to  the  Holy  Ghost !  !t 

From  the  view  thus  taken  by  Rome,  of  the  design 
of  a  sacrament,  it  is  not  wonderful  that  she  considers 
the  administration  of  her  sacraments  as  essential  to 
salvation.  When  his  Jewish  brethren  placed  the 
same  false  view  upon  circumcision,  the  Apostle  to  the 
gentiles  exclaimed:  "Circumcision  is  nothing, and  un- 
circumcision  is  nothing,  but  the  keeping  of  the  com- 
mandments of  God."  1  Cor.  vii.  19.  And  when  this 
view  began  to  be  taken  also  by  Christians,  of  baptism, 
the  same  Apostle  said  :  "I  thank  God, that  I, baptized 
none  of  you,  but  Crispus  and  Gaius."  1  Cor.  i.  14. 
The  plain  and  constant  teaching  of  the  New  Testament 
is,  that  men  are  saved  "by  grace,"  and  that  the  gift 
of  this  grace  is  not  dependent  upon  human  work  or 
merit  in  any  sense  whatever.  "  The  wind  bloweth 
where  it  listeth,"  says  Christ;  and  believers  are  said 
to  be  born,  "not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh, 
nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God."  John  iii.  and  i. 
Rome,  however,  places  the  gift  of  grace  in  the  hands 
of  her  priesthood,  and  not  in  the  hands  of  a  sovereign 
God.  Nor  is  this  all;  the  administration  of  her  sacra- 
ments must  be  accompanied  with  the  intention  of  the 
priest,  otherwise  the  sacrament  itself  becomes  inefllca- 

*  Theol.  ch.  xxxiv.  +  Ibidem. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  225 

cious.  "The  intention  in  the  minister,"  says  Dens, 
"consists  in  an  act  of  his  will,  by  which  he  wills  the 
external  performance  of  the  sacraments,  with  the  in- 
tention of  doing  what  the  church  does."  And  Trent 
has  decreed — "  If  any  one  shall  say  that  the  intention 
is  not  required  in  ministers,  when  they  perform  and 
confer  sacraments,  at  least  of  doing  what  the  church 
does,  let  him  be  accursed."*  This  of  course  places 
salvation  in  the  intention  of  a  priest.  Who  can  as- 
certain that  intention?  Who,  but  God,  can  read  the 
heart  of  a  Catholic  priest?  How  then  can  a  commu- 
nicant have  any  evidence  of  pardon,  but  the  word  of 
the  priest  ?  And  yet  this  sort  of  sacrament  is  essential 
to  salvation!  "The  effect  of  this  sacrament,"  (bap- 
tism,) says  the  Council  of  Florence,  "  is  the  remission 
of  all  original  and  actual  guilt;  also,  of  all  punishment 
which  is  due  for  that  guilt."  Trent  decrees,  that, 
"Whosoever  shall  say  that  baptism  is  optional,  that  is, 
not  necessary  to  salvation,  let  him  be  accursed. "t 
Hence  the  practice  of  this  church,  to  allow  midwives 
and  others  to  baptize  children  in  cases  of  emergency. 
Hence  the  directions  given  about  baptizing  children 
in  the  womb,  and  of  opening  mothers,  who  die  in 
child-birth,  in  order  to  baptize  the  living  offspring! 
Hence,  too,  that  heathenish  practice  of  excluding  from 
consecrated  burying  places,  not  only  heretics  and 
others,  but  the  children  of  Roman  Catholic  parents, 
provided  they  die  before  baptism  can  be  adminis- 
tered !  £ 

The  same  necessity  is  held  as  to  the  other  sacra- 
ments. "Whether  confirmation,"  says  Dens,  "  is  ne- 
cessary to  salvation,  is  a  disputed  point;  but  the  more 
probable  opinion  is  the  afnrmative."§  It  is  rather 
wonderful  that  an  infallible  church  should  be  held  in 
doubt  as  to  a  matter  of  this  kind.  As  to  the  necessity 
of  the  eucharist,  however,  there  is  no  doubt.  "While 
the  other  sacraments,"  say  the  Decrees  of  Trent, 
"  then  first  possess  the  power  of  sanctifying,  when  they 

*  Dens',Theol.,  chap,  xxxiv.  t  Dens'  Theol.  ibidem. 

X  Dens,  ibidem.  §  Dens,  eh.  xxxvi. 

20* 


226         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

are  used  by  any  one,  the  very  Author  of  sanctity  is  in 
the  eucharist  before  it  is  used."*  This  sacrament, 
thus  changed  into  Christ  himself,  "is  not,"  says  the 
Roman  Catholic  catechism,  "like  bread  and  wine, 
changed  into  our  substance,  but  in  some  measure 
changes  us  into  its  own  nature."  The  same  catechism 
affirms,  that  "it  is  an  antidote  against  the  contagion 
of  sin;"  and  that  "invigorated  by  the  strengthening 
influence  of  this  heavenly  food,  the  recipient  at  death 
wings  his  way  to  the  mansions  of  everlasting  glory 
and  never-ending  bliss."t  "  The  sin  of  its  omission," 
says  Dens,  "  is  mortal. "J 

The  same  necessity  is  placed  upon  penance  and  ex- 
treme unction.  "Whosoever  shall  deny,"  says  the 
Council  of  Florence,  "that  sacramental  confession  is 
necessary  to  salvation,  let  him  be  accursed."§  "Who- 
soever," says  the  same  Council,  "  shall  say  that  the 
sacred  anointing  of  the  sick  does  not  confer  grace,  nor 
remit  sins,  nor  raise  up  the  sick,  but  that  it  has  now 
ceased,  let  him  be  accursed." ||  Thus,  these  Romish 
sacraments  are  considered,  all  of  them,  and  in  every 
case,  essential  to  salvation ;  a  position  contrary  to  Scrip- 
ture,and  which  has  no  authority  but  the  word  of  Rome. 

The  corruption  which  Rome  has  introduced  into 
the  simple,  but  significant  ceremony  of  the  Lord's 
Supper,  deserves  particular  attention.  Any  plain  and 
honest  reader  of  the  New  Testament,  must  perceive 
at  once,  that  the  object  of  the  Lord's  Supper  was  to 
erect  in  the  Church  a  memorial  of  that  greatest  of  all 
events,  the  death  of  Christ  upon  the  cross.  That,  as 
the  feast  of  the  passover  was  a  memorial  of  the  de- 
liverance of  the  Israelites  from  the  bondage  of  Egypt, 
when  the  first-born  were  slain,  so  this  institution  was 
designed  to  be  a  perpetual  memento,  or  commemora- 
tive ordinance,  pointing  to  Calvary  and  Christ.  This 
simple  view  of  the  subject,  however,  has  not  suited 
the  genius  of  Rome.  To  magnify  her  priesthood,  (for 
this  is  the  object,)  she  has  converted  it  into  something 

*  Text  Book,  163.  t  Idem.  J  Chap,  xxxviii. 

§  Dens,  chap,  xxxix.  ||  Deng,  chap.  xli. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  227 

very  different,  and  given  to  her  priests  a  power  in  this 
ordinance,  which  is  actually  higher,  so  far  as  we 
know,  than  that  possessed  by  God  himself;  certainly, 
a  power  so  absurd  that  he  never  employed  it.  This 
power  is,  the  conversion  of  the  whole  substance  of  the 
bread  into  the  literal  body  of  Christ,  and  of  the  whole 
substance  of  the  wine  into  the  literal  blood  of  Christ; 
the  accidents,  that  is,  the  shape,  colour,  taste,  &c,  of 
the  bread  and  wine  remaining;  not  however  inhering 
in  their  own  substance,  but  in  the  substance  of  the 
body  and  blood  of  Christ! — "Whosoever  shall  deny," 
is  the  doctrine  of  Trent,  "  that  in  the  most  holy  sacra- 
ment of  the  eucharist,  there  are  truly,  really,  and  sub- 
stantially contained  the  body  and  blood  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  together  with  his  soul  and  divinity,  and 
consequently  Christ  entire;  but  shall  affirm  that  he 
is  present  therein  only  in  a  sign  or  figure,  or  by  his 
power,  let  him  be  accursed. " — "Whosoever  shall  deny 
that  Christ  entire,  (totum  Christum,)  is  contained  in 
the  venerable  sacrament,  under  each  species  (sub  una- 
quaque  specie,)  and  under  every  part  of  each  species, 
(et  sub  singulis  cujusque  speciei  partibus,)  when  they 
are  separated,  (separatione  facta,)  let  him  be  accur- 
sed."* This  is  plain;  it  was  designed  to  be  plain. 
The  whole  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  the  Saviour  of 
men,  of  whom  it  is  said,  "  let  all  the  angels  of  God 
worship  him;"  this  glorious  personage  is  actually  con- 
verted by  the  words  of  a  Roman  priest,  into  the  form 
and  appearance  of  bread  and  wine  !  "  Credat  Judasus 
Apella,  non  ego."  Nor  does  the  priest  himself  really 
believe  it;  for  if  poison  be  introduced  into  the  wine, 
he  will  refuse  to  drink  it.t 

The  first  effect  of  this  monstrous  dogma,  is  what  is 
called  the  adoration  of  the  host,  that  is,  the  worship 
of  the  consecrated  and  transubstantiated  bread  and 
wine  :  "  Whosoever  shall  affirm,  that  Christ  the  only 
begotten  Son  of  God  is  not  to  be  adored  in  the  holy 
Eucharist  with  the  external  signs  of  that  worship 

*  De  sacro-sancto  eucharistiae  Sacramento, 
t  Dens'  Theol.  xxxix. 


228         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

which  is  due  to  God,  (cultu  latrise)  and,  therefore, 
that  the  Eucharist  is  not  to  be  honoured  with  extraor- 
dinary festive  celebration,  nor  solemnly  carried  about 
in  processions,  nor  publicly  presented  to  the  people 
for  their  adoration,  (populo  proponendum  ut  adoretur,) 
and  that  those  who  worship  the  same  are  idolaters; 
let  him  be  accursed."*  Here,  a  God  is  not  only 
made  out  of  bread  and  wine,  but  actually  received 
and  worshipped  as  such  ! 

Nor  is  this  all — the  wheaten  and  vinous  Christ  is 
next  converted  into  a  sacrifice,  and  offered  by  the 
blaspheming  priest,  as  an  atonement  for  the  sins  of 
the  living  and  the  dead!  "Whoever  shall  affirm,  that 
a  true  and  proper  sacrifice  (verum  et  proprium  sacri- 
ficium)  is  not  offered  to  God  in  the  mass;  or,  that  the 
offering  is  nothing  else  than  giving  Christ  to  us  to 
eat;  let  him  be  accursed." — "Whosoever  shall  affirm, 
that  the  sacrifice  of  the  mass  is  only  a  service  of  praise 
and  thanksgiving,  or  a  bare  commemoration  of  the 
sacrifice  made  on  the  cross,  and  not  a  propitiatory 
offering;  (non  autem  propitiatorium)  or,  that  it  only 
benefits  him  who  receives  it,  and  ought  not  to  be 
offered  for  the  living  and  the  dead,  (pro  vivis  et 
defunctis,)  for  sins,  punishments,  satisfactions,  and 
other  necessities,  {pro  peccatis,  poenis,  satisfactionibus, 
et  aliis  necessitatibus,)  let  him  be  accursed. "t  On 
the  same  subject,  Dens  teaches  that,  "  The  sacrifice 
on  the  cross  is  altogether  the  same  as  to  substance 
with  the  sacrifice  of  the  mass ;  because  the  priest  in 
both  instances  is  the  same!  and  the  victim,  Christ  the 
Lord  is  the  same  !"  Again  he  says,  "  Next  to  Christ, 
every  priest  legitimately  ordained,  is  the  true  and 
proper  minister  of  the  sacrifice,  because  they  only  can 
perform  this  sacrifice,  who  have  received  supernatu- 
ral power  for  this  purpose."  Again  he  says:  "The 
value  of  the  mass  is  infinite:"  and  again,  "The  mass 
is  infallibly  efficacious."  "It  is  proper,"  he  says,  "to 
receive  pay  for  the  celebration  of  the  mass."  "Bap- 
tized heretics,  he  continues,  are  entirely  excluded  from 

*  Decrees  of  Trent,  ibidem.  t  De  sacrificio  missee. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  229 

all  the  direct  benefits  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  mass." 
Still,  however,  "  It  is  certain  that  the  sacrifice  of  the 
mass,  is  infallibly  of  advantage  to  souls  in  purgatory, 
for  the  remission  of  the  punishments  remaining  from 
guilt,  at  least  as  to  a  part." 

Thus  is  the  simple  and  sublime  ordinance  of  the 
Holy  Supper,  converted  from  a  purely  commemora- 
tive ordinance,  from  being  the  means  of  cherishing  the 
believer's  faith  in  Christ,  into  a  ceremony  of  super- 
stition, absurdity  and  idolatry.  Well  might  Christ 
say  of  such,  "  Ye  blind  guides,  which  strain  at  a  gnat 
and  swallow  a  camel."  Matt,  xxiii.  24. 

4.  Upon  all  the  changes  which  Rome  has  introduced 
into  the  church  and  kingdom  of  God,  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  dwell.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  every  doctrine, 
every  ordinance,  every  institution,  every  mode  of 
worship,  every  thing,  has  undergone,  in  one  form  or 
another,  some  change  in  passing  through  the  hands 
of  omnipotent  Rome.  The  church  has  become  a 
temporal  kingdom,  the  ministry  not  only  a  priest- 
hood, but  a  set  of  earthly  princes ;  the  Bible,  no^a 
revelation  from  God  to  man,  but  a  revelation  from 
the  priest  to  man ;  baptism,  not  an  obligation  to 
Christ,  but  an  obligation  to  the  church ;  confession  to 
man,  has  taken  the  place  of  confession  to  God ;  obedi- 
ence is  no  longer  the  evidence  of  faith,  but  the  meri- 
torious cause  of  salvation.  Purgatory  has  been  in- 
vented to  terrify  the  credulous;  and  contributions  and 
fasts,  instead  of  being  left  voluntary  to  individual 
believers,  are  matters  of  ecclesiastical  law,  and  of 
positive  requirement.  A  system  of  tyranny  has  been 
erected  on  the  ruins  of  freedom;  and  error  and 
superstition  have  risen  up  in  the  place  of  truth  and 
simplicity.  If  Peter  or  Paul  were  sent  back  from 
the  world  of  glory,  to  contemplate  the  church  of 
Rome;  and  if  they  were  told,  that  the  Roman  church 
was  held  as  the  model  of  the  system,  which  they 
originally  advocated,  these  holy  men  would  scarcely 
recognize  a  principle  or  a  thing  in  all  Romanism, 
identical  with  the  church  and  the  Christianity  which 
they  left  in  the  world.      Yea,  Paul  would  see  his 


230         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

"  man  of  sin,"  in  all  the  perfection  of  maturity,  in 
the  awful  spectacle  presented  before  him,  and  mis- 
named The  Church.  Thus  has  Rome,  lifting  her  hand 
higher  than  that  of  the  Almighty,  and  speaking  with 
a  voice  more  terrific  than  that  of  the  Holy  One,  dared 
to  pull  down  what  God  has  erected,  and  to  erect  what 
God  has  forbidden.  In  all  this,  however,  she  demon- 
strates her  true  character,  proves  herself  to  be  Anti- 
christ, and  awakens  in  the  bosom  of  the  true  believer 
the  hope,  that  her  destruction  is  advancing,  and  that 
"  according  as  she  hath  glorified  herself,  so  much  tor- 
ment and  sorrow"  will  an  avenging  God  give  her. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  231 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

ANTICHRIST   A    PERSECUTOR. 


Another  mark  of  Antichrist,  furnished  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, is  his  persecuting  spirit.  "  I  beheld,"  says 
Daniel,  "and  the  same  horn  made  war  with  the 
saints,  and  prevailed  against  them."  Dan.  vii.  21. 
The  same  is  expressed  by  John — "And  it  was  given 
unto  him  to  make  war  with  the  saints  and  to  over- 
come them."  Rev.  xiii.  7.  But  John  is  yet  more  ex- 
plicit: "And  I  saw  the  woman  drunken  with  the 
blood  of  the  saints;  and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs 
of  Jesus."  Rev.  xvii.  6.  Again,  "In  her  was  found 
the  blood  of  prophets,  and  of  saints,  and  of  all  that 
were  slain  upon  the  earth."  Rev.  xviii.  24. 

Persecution  refers  to  those  civil  and  temporal  pun- 
ishments which  are  inflicted  upon  men  for  opinion's 
sake.  That  such  punishments  were  employed  among 
the  ancient  Israelites,  especially  in  relation  to  idolatry, 
is  certain.  Deut.  xiii.  xvii.  and  xviii.  Was  it  designed 
by  Christ,  that  they  should  also  be  used  in  the  propa- 
gation of  the  Christian  faith?     Certainly  not. 

1.  He  has  prescribed  a  different  punishment  for  the 
rejecters  of  his  gospel.  "He  that  believeth  not  shall 
be  damned."  Mark  xvi.  16.  Eternal  perdition  is  here 
denounced  upon  all  who  receive  not  Christ,  after  they 
shall  have  heard  his  gospel.  Nor  is  this  sentence  to 
be  executed  by  the  minister;  but  simply  proclaimed 
by  him.  Now  if  this  is  the  punishment  to  be  de- 
nounced against  the  rejecters  of  Christ's  gospel,  the 
substitution  of  temporal  or  civil  penalties  is  both  in- 
appropriate and  unlawful.     Error  is  better  removed 


232         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

by  argument,  and  fear  excited  by  the  threatened  ven- 
geance of  the  Lord. 

2.  Christ  instituted  no  union  between  church  and 
state.  For  the  most  part,  persecution  has  been  the 
offspring  of  the  union  here  alluded  to.  Ecclesiastical 
censure  has  been  enforced  by  the  civil  magistrate. 
The  doctrine  of  Jesus,  however,  on  this  subject  is, 
"  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world ;  if  my  kingdom 
were  of  this  world,  then  would  my  servants  fight;  but 
now  is  my  kingdom  not  from  hence."  Here  all  con- 
nexion between  church  and  state  is  expressly  denied; 
and  consequently  persecution,  as  growing  out  of  that 
connexion. 

3.  The  practice,  too,  both  of  Christ  and  his  Apos- 
tles, utterly  condemns  all  such  methods  of  promoting 
the  truth.  When  twelve  legions  of  angels  were  ready 
at  the  call  of  Christ  to  execute  vengeance  upon  his 
crucifiers,  he  invoked  not  their  assistance.  Matt.  xxvi. 
53.  And  when  John  and  James  desired  permission 
to  call  down  fire  from  heaven  upon  a  certain  Samari- 
tan village,  the  only  response  their  Master  gave  them 
was,  in  the  language  of  rebuke,  "  Ye  know  not  what 
manner  of  spirit  ye  are  of;  for  the  Son  of  Man  is  not 
come  to  destroy  men's  lives,  but  to  save  them."  Luke 
ix.  55.  The  Apostle  Paul  also  asserts, "  The  weapons 
of  our  warfare  are  not  carnal,  but  mighty  through 
God."  1  Cor.  x.  4.  The  rule,  too,  which  he  prescribes 
to  Timothy,  in  all  such  cases,  is  of  similar  import. 
"  The  servant  of  the  Lord  must  not  strive,  but  be  gen- 
tle unto  all  men,  apt  to  teach,  patient,  in  meekness 
instructing  those  that  oppose  themselves;  if  God,  per- 
adventure,  will  give  them  repentance  to  the  acknow- 
ledging of  the  truth."  2  Tim.  ii.  24,  25.  It  is  true, 
that  daring  offenders  were  excluded  from  the  commu- 
nion of  the  church;  and  being  so  excluded,  they  were 
said  to  be  "delivered  unto  Satan,"  1  Tim.  i.  20;  or, 
"  delivered  unto  Satan  for  the  destruction  of  the  flesh;" 
1  Cor.  v.  5;  but  the  church  proceeded  no  farther.  Ex- 
clusion from  her  communion  was  her  ultima  poena; 
the  rest  she  left  in  the  hands  of  God.  It  is  true,  that 
in  that  age  of  miracles,  the  sentence  of  the  Apostles 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  233 

was  sometimes  followed  by  divine  and  miraculous 
interposition,  as  in  the  cases  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira; 
but  there  were  no  physical  punishments  inflicted  either 
by  the  church  or  the  civil  power.  No  such  case  can 
be  found.  If,  then,  Christ  and  his  Apostles  are  to 
govern  the  Christian  church,  persecution,  especially 
persecution  followed  by  civil  and  executive  punish- 
ments, so  far  from  being  agreeable  to  Christianity,  is 
in  direct  violation  both  of  its  letter  and  spirit.  Hence, 
during  the  first  three  centuries  no  such  persecution 
existed  in  the  Christian  church.  Christians  then  were 
persecuted,  but  did  not  persecute. 

No  sooner,  however,  was  the  unnatural  alliance 
formed  of  church  and  state,  than  persecution  began. 
"  The  administration  of  the  church  was  divided," 
says  Mosheim,  "  by  Constantine  himself,  into  an  ex- 
ternal and  internal  inspection.  The  latter  was  com- 
mitted to  bishops  and  councils;  the  former  the  em- 
peror assumed  to  himself."*  Here  the  evil  began. 
Church  power  being  placed  in  the  hands,  or  rather 
assumed  by  the  hands  of  a  civil  officer,  was  exercised 
as  all  other  civil  prerogatives;  and  the  emperor  soon 
began  to  punish  heretics  as  he  would  rebels  and  in- 
surgents. "  Two  monstrous  errors,"  says  Mosheim, 
"  were  almost  universally  adopted  in  this  century; 
first,  that  it  was  an  act  of  virtue  to  deceive  and 
lie,  when  by  that  means  the  interests  of  the  church 
might  be  promoted ;  and  second,  that  errors  in  reli- 
gion, when  maintained  and  adhered  to,  after  proper 
admonition,  were  punishable  with  civil  penalties  and 
corporal  tortures."t  These  are  truly  a  monstrous 
pair  of  twins;  and  if  such  was  the  first  offspring  of 
the  connexion  between  church  and  state,  is  it  won- 
derful, that  bloodier  and  more  dreadful  things  have 
resulted  from  this  unnatural  alliance? 

The  Donatists  were  the  first  to  realize  the  effects  of 
this  civil  administration  of  church  affairs.  The  Nu- 
midians,  and  Donatus  at  their  head,  opposed  the  con- 
secration of  Coecilianus  as  bishop  of  Carthage.     For 

*  Century  iv.  t  Cent,  iv.,  chap.  iii. 

21 


234         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

this  they  were  opposed  by  the  rest  of  the  church,  and 
ultimately  by  Constantine.  And  so  far  did  the  latter 
carry  his  opposition,  that  he  not  only  deprived  the 
Donatists  of  their  churches,  and  sent  their  leaders  into 
banishment,  but  actually  put  many  of  them  to  death ! 
Here  we  have  the  lamentable  example  of  a  Christian 
prince,  yea,  the  first  Christian  prince,  putting  his  own 
Christian  subjects  to  death  for  matters  of  conscience 
and  religion !  Nor  did  matters  assume  a  quiet  aspect 
until  the  battle  of  Bagnia,  under  the  reign  of  Constans, 
gave  victory,  the  victory  of  the  sword,  to  the  imperial 
troops. 

In  the  year  357,  when  the  contest  about  Arianism 
was  raging  throughout  the  Roman  empire,  this  same 
civil  power  in  the  administration  of  church  affairs,  in- 
terfered with  the  liberty  of  conscience  in  the  Roman 
pontiff  himself.  Liberius  was  compelled  by  Constan- 
tius  to  embrace  the  Arian  heresy.*  Here,  'then,  we 
see  an  instance  in  which  the  civil  ruler  makes  the 
creed  of  one  of  the  predecessors  of  those  illustrious 
popes,  who  afterwards  made  emperors  hold  their  stir- 
rups, and  bow  in  their  presence.  So  generally  did 
the  sentiment  prevail  in  this  and  the  following  cen- 
tury, that  religious  errors  were  to  be  removed  by  the 
authority  of  the  state,  that  even  Augustine  coolly  and 
deliberately  advocates  it.  The  following  is  his  lan- 
guage: "If  you  suppose  we  ought  to  be  moved  be- 
cause so  many  thousands  die  in  this  way,  how  much 
consolation  do  you  suppose  we  ought  to  have,  because 
far  and  incomparably  more  thousands  are  freed  from 
such  great  madness  of  the  Donatist  party,  where  not 
only  the  error  of  the  nefarious  division,  but  even  mad- 
ness itself  was  the  law."t 

The  same  principle  which  began  to  produce  such 
pernicious  effects  in  the  Roman  empire,  diffused  itself 
also  among  those  northern  nations  which  subverted 
that  empire.  The  kings  of  the  Vandals,"  says  Mos- 
heim,  "particularly  Genseric,  and  Huneric  his  son, 
pulled  down  the  churches  of  those  Christians  who  ac- 

*  Mosheim,  i.  329.  t  Contra  Oaudentium,  Ep.  i. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  235 

knowledged  the  divinity  of  Christ,  sent  their  bishops 
into  exile,  and  maimed  and  tormented  in  various  ways 
such  as  were  nobly  firm  and  inflexible  in  the  profes- 
sion of  their  faith.  They,  however,  declared  that  in 
using  these  severe  and  violent  methods,  they  were  au- 
thorized by  the  example  of  the  emperors,  who  had 
enacted  laws  of  the  same  rigorous  nature  against  the 
Donatists,  the  Arians  and  other  sects,  who  differed  in 
opinion  from  the  Christians  of  Constantinople."* 
Charlemagne,  too,  in  the  eighth  century,  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  wage  a  most  determined  war  against  the  Sax- 
ons, principally  with  the  design  of  converting  them  to 
Christianity. 

Such  where  some  of  the  early  fruits  of  the  perni- 
cious principle,  introduced  under  the  reign  of  Con- 
stantine.  Religion  and  the  sword,  the  bishop  and  the 
sovereign,  went  hand  in  hand ;  and  when  piety  could 
not  attract,  or  argument  convince,  power  was  made  to 
determine  the  controversy.  No  wonder  that  slavery 
was  the  result;  and  that  Europe  for  centuries  was 
made  to  exhibit  the  humiliating  spectacle  of  enslaved 
millions,  under  the  tyrannical  rule  of  domineering  and 
despotic  ecclesiastics. 

It  was  left,  however,  for  Rome,  the  Babylon  of  the 
middle  ages,  and  the  seeds  of  whose  existence  had 
been  sowing  for  centuries — it  was  left  for  Rome  to 
finish  the  tragedy,  and  to  show  to  the  world  the  cruel- 
ty of  man  to  man,  when  bigotry  rules  in  his  bosom, 
and  charity  has  forsaken  his  heart,  and  the  sword 
stands  ready  at  his  bidding.  Other  powers  may  have 
slain  the  saints,  but  Rome  alone  "  has  been  drunk 
with  their  blood."  It  is  this  awful  spectacle  that 
we  now  proceed  to  unveil. 

It  may  not  be  improper  here  to  remark,  that  per- 
secution, so  far  from  being  a  mere  accident  upon  the 
Romish  system,  is  the  direct  result  of  the  system  it- 
self. If  Jesus  Christ  is  "Lord  of  lords,"  and  the 
Pope  is  his  vicegerent  on  earth;  if  the  spiritual  pow- 
er is  either  superior  to  the  temporal,  or  in  necessary 

*  Century  v.,  chap.  v. 


236         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

union  with  it;  if  the  Pope  is  the  infallible  interpreter 
of  the  word  of  God,  and  all  men  are  bound  to  adopt 
his  interpretations;  if  submission  and  not  liberty  is  the 
duty  of  Christians;  and  if  there  is  no  salvation  but  in 
the  Romish  church — if  these  premises  are  admitted, 
then  is  persecution  not  only  a  result  of  Romanism,  but 
a  necessary  result:  it  is  the  duty  of  the  church  to  per- 
secute; it  would  be  unkind  and  disloyal  to  act  other- 
wise. 

It  is  sometimes  alleged,  that  other  Christian  bodies 
besides  Romanists,  have  persecuted.  This  is  true. 
But  these  persecutions,  few  in  number,  and  feeble  for 
the  most  part  in  their  effects,  have  been  excrescences 
upon  such  Christian  bodies.  They  have  been  their 
deformities,  not  their  glories — their  injury,  not  their 
advancement.  The  fundamental  principles  of  Pro- 
testant Christianity  are,  that  the  Bible  is  the  only  in- 
fallible rule  of  faith,  and  that  in  examining  the  Scrip- 
tures and  forming  his  conclusions,  every  man  must  be 
left  to  his  own  conscience.  True,  any  particular  body 
of  men  who  substantially  agree  in  these  conclusions, 
may  adopt  the  same  symbol  of  faith,  and  may,  if  they 
deem  it  necessary,  refuse  communion  with  others, 
whom,  they  may  consider  as  putting  an  interpretation 
upon  the  word  of  God,  radically  erroneous  and  essen- 
tially different  from  their  own.  But  here,  save  as  to 
argument  and  moral  influence,  the  matter  ends;  the 
former  having  no  more  right  to  force  the  latter  to  their 
conclusions,  than  the  latter  have  to  force  the  former  to 
theirs.  This  leads  of  course  to  a  separation  between 
the  two  bodies;  not,  however,  to  a  religious  war, 
where  the  sword  is  made  the  umpire  of  Christian  faith. 
It  produces,  if  you  please,  sects,  not  however  crusades. 
It  distributes  the  Christian  Church  into  social  combi- 
nations, formed  upon  the  voluntary  principle;  it  does 
not,  however,  drench  Christian  soil  with  Christian 
blood. 

That  this  system,  admitting  as  it  does,  of  so  many 
external  varieties,  is  better,  far  better  than  the  oppo- 
site one,  no  thinking  man  can  deny.  It  places  not 
only  religion,  but  human  nature  itself  upon  the  right 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  2  37 

basis.  The  acceptance  of  the  gospel  here,  is  what  it 
always  must  be  to  be  real,  voluntary ;  and  no  one  man, 
or  set  of  men,  are  here  allowed  to  lord  it  over  others. 
We  proceed,  however,  to  consider  the  development  of 
the  contrary  system — the  system  of  oneness  and  of 
absolutism. 

It  will  not  be  amiss  to  notice  here  the  war  of  the 
Holy  Crusades,  as  involving  the  general  principle  of 
persecution.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  eleventh  cen- 
tury, the  Turks  had  taken  possession  of  Jerusalem, 
and  subjected  Christian  pilgrims  to  various  oppres- 
sions. To  repel  these  bitter  enemies  to  Christians, 
Peter,  a  native  of  Amiens  in  France,  and  usually  call- 
ed the  Hermit,  aroused  all  Europe  to  engage  in  a 
holy  war.  Pope  Urban  the  Second  gave  the  scheme 
his  most  earnest  support;  the  Council  of  Clermont  de- 
creed it.  These  crusades,  therefore,  had  their  origin 
in  the  church.  Indeed,  the  Pope  granted  indulgences 
and  dispensations  to  those  who  would  engage  in  this 
enterprise.  Of  these  crusades  there  were  seven.  Mil- 
lions of  lives  were  lost  by  them;  the  resources  of  na- 
tions were  exhausted,  and  the  greatest  evils  followed 
in  their  train.  To  justify  them  upon  Christian  princi- 
ples is  impossible.  When  Peter  drew  his  sword  in 
defence  of  his  Master,  the  reply  of  that  master  was, 
"Put  up  again  thy  sword  into  his  place;  for  all  they 
that  take  the  sword  shall  perish  with  the  sword." 
Matt.  xxvi.  52.  If  then,  it  was  not  lawful  to  defend 
Christ  himself  with  the  sword,  it  certainly  was  not 
lawful  to  defend  his  sepulchre  with  the  sword. 

To  understand  however,  in  what  spirit  these  mis- 
called holy  wars  were  carried  on,  let  us  notice  the 
conduct  of  the  crusaders,  upon  the  first  conquest  of 
Jerusalem.  "  On  a  Friday,"  says  Gibbon,  "at  three  in 
the  afternoon,  the  day  and  hour  of  the  passion,  God- 
frey of  Bouillon,  stood  victorious  on  the  walls  of  Je- 
rusalem. A  bloody  sacrifice  was  offered  by  these 
mistaken  votaries  to  the  God  of  the  Christians:  resist- 
ance might  provoke,  but  neither  age  nor  sex  could 
mollify  their  implacable  rage ;  they  indulged  them- 
selves three  days  in  a  promiscuous  massacre.     After 

21* 


238         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

seventy  thousand  Moslems  had  been  put  to  the  sword, 
and  the  harmless  Jews  had  been  burnt  in  their  syna- 
gogues, they  could  still  reserve  a  multitude  of  captives 
whom  interest  or  lassitude  persuaded  them  to  spare. 
Of  these  savage  heroes  of  the  cross,  Tancred  alone 
betrayed  some  sentiments  of  compassion.  The  holy 
sepulchre  was  now  free ;  and  the  bloody  victors  pre- 
pared to  accomplish  their  vow.  Bareheaded  and  bare- 
foot, with  contrite  hearts,  and  an  humble  posture,  they 
ascended  the  hill  of  Calvary,  amidst  the  loud  anthems 
of  the  clergy ;  kissed  the  stone  which  had  covered 
the  Saviour  of  the  world,  and  bedewed  with  tears 
of  joy  and  penitence  the  monument  of  their  redemp- 
tion."* 

Can  any  one  imagine,  that  the  Apostles  Paul  and 
Peter  would  have  promoted,  as  Pope  Urban  did,  an 
enterprise  of  this  kind  ?  Can  any  one  suppose,  that 
Timothy,  or  Titus,  or  Luke,  would  have  preached  as 
the  Hermit  did,  a  war  of  such  exterminating  ven- 
geance against  the  enemies  of  Christianity?  Can  any 
one  conceive,  that  the  primitive  church  would  have 
mixed  in  a  scene  of  blood  like  this,  with  anthems  and 
praises  ?  Is  it  even  possible  to  suppose  that  the  Prince 
of  peace,  the  author  and  founder  of  the  Christian  sys- 
tem, could  sanction  such  conduct  in  his  professed  dis- 
ciples? By  no  means;  darkness  is  not  more  unlike 
light,  than  such  bloody  wars  are  unlike  the  gospel  of 
the  Son  of  God. 

This  spirit  of  persecution,  however,  in  the  papal 
church,  did  not  confine  itself  to  Turks  and  Moslems, 
and  to  the  rescue  merely  of  the  holy  sepulchre.  Pro- 
fessing Christians  were  also  made  to  feel  its  severity. 

In  the  middle  ages,  there  lived  in  the  south  of 
France,  a  people  distinguished  for  their  civilization, 
refinement  and  elegant  language.  The  Catholic  priest- 
hood in  this  country  was  at  the  time  exceedingly  cor- 
rupt and  ignorant.  So  much  was  this  the  case,  that 
no  situation  in  life  was  considered  meaner  than  that 
of  a  priest.     No  wonder  then,  that  a  purer  faith  should 

*  Rome,  chap,  lviii. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  239 

be  acceptable  to  the  inhabitants  of  Languedoc,  Pro- 
vence, and  Catalonia.  This  faith  was  preached  among 
them,  by  a  people  usually  called  Albigenses.  These 
Albigenses,  who  derived  their  name  from  Albigeois,  a 
district  in  France,  of  which  the  town  Albi  was  the 
capital,  were  a  set  of  dissentients  from  the  Church  of 
Rome.  "  They  considered,"  says  Shoberl,  "the  Scrip- 
tures as  the  only  source  of  faith  and  religion,  without 
regard  to  the  authority  of  the  Fathers  and  of  tradi- 
tion. They  held  the  entire  faith  according  to  the 
doctrines  of  the  Apostles'  creed.  They  rejected  all 
the  external  rites  of  the  dominant  church,  excepting 
baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper — as  temples,  vestures, 
images,  crosses,  the  worship  of  holy  relics,  and  the 
rest  of  the  sacraments.  They  rejected  purgatory,  and 
masses  and  prayers  for  the  dead.  They  admitted  no 
indulgences,  or  confessions  of  sin,  with  any  of  their 
consequences.  They  denied  the  corporeal  presence  of 
Christ  in  the  sacrament.  They  held  that  monasticism 
was  a  putrid  carcase,  and  vows  the  invention  of  men, 
and  that  the  marriage  of  the  clergy  was  lawful  and 
necessary.  Finally,  they  declared  the  Roman  Church 
to  be  the  whore  of  Babylon,  refused  obedience  to  the 
Pope  and  the  bishops,  and  denied  that  the  former  had 
any  authority  over  other  churches,  or  the  power  of 
either  the  civil  or  the  ecclesiastical  sword."* 

As  to  their  lives,  the  Albigenses  were  above  re- 
proach. Even  their  enemies  admitted,  that  "they  ob- 
served irreproachable  chastity,  that  in  their  zeal  for 
truth,  they  never  on  any  occasion  resorted  to  a  lie ; 
and  that  such  was  their  charity,  that  they  were  always 
ready  to  sacrifice  themselves  for  others."!  When 
their  Catholic  neighbours  were  exhorted  by  the  mis- 
sionaries of  Pope  Innocent,  to  expel  and  exterminate 
them,  their  reply  was,  "  We  cannot,  we  have  been 
brought  up  with  them;  we  have  relations  among 
them ;  and  we  see  what  virtuous  lives  they  lead." 

It  was  to  this  class  of  heretics,  that  Pope  Innocent 
III.  turned  his  sacerdotal  attention.     At  first  he  sent 

*  Persecutions  of  Popery,  p.  20.  t  Ibidem. 


240         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

missionaries  among  them.  Finding  this  measure  too 
tardy  and  ineffectual,  he  next  published  a  bull,  re- 
quiring their  princes  and  sovereigns  to  persecute  them. 
These  princes  and  sovereigns  being  rather  tardy  in 
executing  such  a  bloody  edict  upon  their  own  subjects, 
the  Pope  next  excommunicates  the  princes,  releases 
their  subjects  from  allegiance  to  them,  and  even  pro- 
ceeded so  far  as  to  call  for  a  general  crusade  against 
both  princes  and  people.  To  induce  other  European 
powers  and  Christians  to  enter  upon  so  bloody  an 
enterprise,  he  publishes  plenary  indulgences  to  all  sol- 
diers and  others,  who  would  engage  in  this  war,  and 
offers  to  the  princes  of  other  countries,  the  vanquished  . 
territories  of  these  heretical  princes.  Such  offers  com- 
ing from  such  a  source,  were  not  likely  to  be  despised. 
Consequently,  in  the  early  part  of  the  thirteenth  cen- 
tury, a  general  crusade  was  raised  against  the  Count 
of  Thoulouse,  the  Viscount  of  Beziers,  Alby  and  Car- 
cassonne, and  the  other  princes,  who  had  not,  in  every 
iota,  complied  with  the  bull  of  Pope  Innocent.  The 
Abbot  of  Citeaux,  who  was  the  Pope's  Legate,  was 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  crusade.  The  number  of 
these  crusaders  is  variously  estimated  from  50,000 
to  500,000.  They  were  actuated  with  the  greatest 
fanaticism ;  and  spread  ruin  and  slaughter  wherever 
they  went. 

Raymond  VI.,  the  Count  of  Thoulouse,  who  had 
previously  patronized  the  Albigenses,  upon  the  ap- 
proach of  this  vast  multitude,  attempted  by  conces- 
sions and  penances  to  obtain  the  forgiveness  of  the 
church.  He  was  required  to  surrender  seven  of  his 
strongest  castles,  to  abide  the  decision  of  his  judges 
as  to  the  charges  preferred  against  him,  and  to  be 
scourged  upon  his  naked  back  around  the  altar  of 
St.  Gilles,  with  a  rope  around  his  neck.  Roger,  Vis- 
count of  Beziers,  resolved  to  defend  his  territories 
against  the  fanatical  hordes  of  the  invaders.  Beziers, 
one  of  his  strongest  fortresses,  was  first  taken.  The 
terrified  inhabitants  took  refuge  in  the  churches. 
These  however  proved  but  poor  refuges  to  the  fury 
of  the  crusaders.     When  the  knights  consulted  the 


I  THE    ANTICHRIST.  241 

Legate,  as  to  the  proper  mode  of  distinguishing  be- 
tween the  heretics  and  catholics,  his  reply  was,  "kill 
them  all,  the  Lord  will  know  his  own."  This  sen- 
tence was  rigidly  executed;  men,  women,  children, 
heretics  and  catholics,  all  being  mixed  in  one  general 
slaughter.  In  the  church  of  the  Magdalen  seven  thou- 
sand corpses  were  found ;  in  the  cathedral  a  greater 
number.  "When  the  crusaders  had  slaughtered  all,  to 
the  very  last  living  creature,  in  Beziers,"  says  Shoberl, 
"and  had  plundered  the  houses  of  every  thing  worth 
carrying  away,  they  set  fire  to  all  the  quarters  at  once; 
the  city  was  but  one  vast  conflagration ;  not  an  edi- 
fice remained  standing,  not  a  human  being  was  left 
alive."* 

When  Carcassonne  was  captured,  although  the  in- 
habitants generally  escaped  through  a  subterranean 
passage,  yet  four  hundred  persons  were  burnt  alive, 
and  fifty  were  hung  upon  gibbets.  The  same  fate 
awaited  the  inhabitants  of  Lauraguais  and  Menerbais. 
When  Brom  was  taken,  Monfort  "  selected  more  than 
a  hundred  of  the  wretched  inhabitants,  and  having 
torn  out  their  eyes,  and  cut  off  their  noses,  sent  them 
under  the  guidance  of  a  one-eyed  man  to  the  castle 
of  Cabaret,  to  intimate  to  the  garrison  of  that  fortress 
the  fate  which  awaited  them."t  At  the  capture  of 
Menerbe,  one  hundred  and  forty  persons  were  burnt 
alive;  at  that  of  Lavaur  eighty  were  hanged  on  the 
gallows;  and  when  Cassero  was  taken,  sixty  more 
were  committed  to  the  flames. 

Such  was  the  general  character  of  this  eight  years' 
war  against  these  unoffending  disciples  of  Jesus. 
Princes  were  humbled,  their  cities  were  burnt,  their 
fortresses  destroyed,  their  subjects  butchered,  and 
their  country  wasted,  to  eradicate  from  the  earth, 
doctrines  which  Apostles  preached,  and  which  the 
primitive  church  held  with  the  strongest  faith.  "No 
calculation,"  says  the  same  writer,  "can  ascertain 
with  any  precision,  the  waste  of  property,  and  the 
destruction  of  human  life,  which  were   the   conse- 

*  Persecutions  of  Popery,  p.  20.  t  Idem. 


242         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

quences  of  the  crusade  against  the  Albigenses."  Nor 
let  it  be  forgotten,  that  this  crusade  was  summoned 
by  the  Pope,  was  conducted  by  his  Legate,  and  was 
afterwards  approved  in  the  council  of  Lateran  by  an 
Assembly  of  Catholic  divines. 

In  allusion  to  this  crusade  against  the  Albigenses, 
Daunau,  himself  a  Catholic,  remarks:  "We  do  not 
intend  to  exculpate  the  Albigenses  from  all  error. 
But  to  exterminate  thousands  of  good  men,  be- 
cause they  have  committed  a  self-delusion,  and  to 
dethrone  him  who  governed  them,  because  he  did  not 
persecute  them  enough,  is  rigour  to  excess,  and  reveals 
the  character  and  manifests  the  power  of  Innocent 
III."*  Hallam  also  remarks  concerning  this  reli- 
gious war — "  It  was  prosecuted  with  every  atrocious 
barbarity  which  superstition,  the  mother  of  crimes, 
could  inspire.  Languedoc,  a  country,  for  that  age, 
flourishing  and  civilized,  was  laid  waste  by  these  de- 
solaters,  her  cities  burnt,  her  inhabitants  swept  away 
by  fire  and  sword.  And  this  was  to  punish  a  fanati- 
cism ten  thousand  times  more  innocent  than  their 
own."t  Such  was  one  of  the  first  efforts  of  Rome  to 
fill  herself  with  the  blood  of  the  saints. 

The  holy  wars  against  the  Waldenses  will  next 
claim  our  attention.  Some  writers  suppose  that  the 
Waldenses  took  their  name  and  origin  from  Peter 
Waldo,  a  wealthy  merchant  of  Lyons.  Others,  how- 
ever, place  their  origin  in  a  much  more  remote  anti- 
quity. The  opinion  of  Beza  was,  that  Peter  of  Lyons 
derived  his  name  Waldo,  or  Valdo,  from  the  Walden- 
ses. "  According  to  other  writers,"  says  Hallam, "  the 
original  Waldenses  were  a  race  of  uncorrupted  shep- 
herds, who,  in  the  valleys  of  the  Alps,  had  shaken  off, 
or  perhaps  never  learned,  the  system  of  superstition 
on  which  the  Catholic  church  depended  for  its  ascen- 
dency.":}: Shoberl  traces  their  origin  to  Claude, Bishop 
of  Turin,  who,  when  image-worship  was  introduced, 
in  the  beginning  of  the  eighth  century,  made  a  bold 

*  Court  of  Rome,  p.  129.  t  Middle  Ages,  chap.  i.  part  i. 

t  Middle  Ages,  chap,  ix.,  part  ii. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  243  m 

stand  against  both  this  and  several  other  corruptions 
of  the  Romish  church.  Here,  amid  the  valleys  of 
Piedmont,  had  these  truly  primitive  and  Christian 
people  lived  for  centuries,  separated  by  their  locality 
from  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  unobserved  by  even 
the  eye  of  popish  jealousy. 

The  character  of  the  Waldenses  and  their  doctrines 
may  be  learned  from  the  following  quotations.  "  All 
they  aimed  at,"  says  Mosheim,  "  was,  to  reduce  the 
form  of  ecclesiastical  government,  and  the  lives  and 
manners  both  of  the  clergy  and  people,  to  that  ami- 
able simplicity,  and  that  primitive  sanctity,  which  char- 
acterized the  apostolic  ages,  and  which  appear  so 
strongly  recommended  in  the  precepts  and  injunctions 
of  the  divine  Author  of  our  holy  religion."*  "These 
pious  and  innocent  sectaries,"  says  Hallam, "  of  whom 
the  very  monkish  historians  speak  well,  appear  to 
have  nearly  resembled  the  modern  Moravians.  They 
had  ministers  of  their  own  appointment,  and  denied 
the  lawfulness  of  oaths  and  of  capital  punishment.  In 
other  respects  their  opinions  were  not  far  removed 
from  those  usually  called  Protestant."!  Reinerus  Sac- 
co,  an  Italian  Inquisitor,  writes  thus  of  them:  "While 
all  other  sects  disgust  the  public'by  their  gross  blasphe- 
mies against  God,  this,  on  the  other  hand,  has  a  great 
appearance  of  piety.  For  those  who  belong  to  it,  live 
justly  among  men,  have  a  sound  doctrine  in  all  points 
respecting  God,  and  believe  in  all  the  articles  of  the 
Apostles'  creed :  but  they  blaspheme  the  Romish 
church." X  Cassini,  a  Franciscan,  thus  speaks  of  them: 
"  The  errors  of  the  Vaudois  consist  in  their  denial  that 
the  Romish  is  the  holy  mother  church,  and  in  their 
refusal  to  obey  her  traditions.  In  other  points  they 
recognize  the  church  of  Christ;  and  for  my  part,  I 
cannot  deny  that  they  have  always  been  members  of 
his  church."§  When  Pope  Innocent  VIII.  had  urged 
Louis  XII.,  king  of  France,  to  extirpate  this  sect  from 
his  kingdom,  the  monarch  sent  two  commissioners, 

*  Ecclesiastical  Hist.,  Cent.  xiii.  t  Shoberl,  p.  60. 

f  Middle  Ages,  ix.  ii.  §  Ibidem. 


244         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

one  of  them  a  Dominican,  and  the  royal  confessor,  to 
inquire  into  their  character  and  views.  These  com- 
missioners deposed  upon  oath,  that  "  having  visited 
the  parishes  and  churches  of  the  Vaudois,  we  find  no 
images,  no  trace  of  the  service  of  the  mass,  nor  any 
paraphernalia,  used  in  the  ceremonies  observed  by 
Catholics.  But  having  also  made  a  strict  inquiry  into 
their  manner  of  living,  we  cannot  discover  the  least 
shadow  of  the  crimes  imputed  to  them.  On  the  con- 
trary, it  appears  that  they  piously  observe  the  Sab- 
bath, baptize  their  children  after  the  manner  of  the 
primitive  church,  and  are  thoroughly  instructed  in 
the  doctrine  of  the  Apostles'  creed  and  in  the  law  of 
God."* 

Notwithstanding,  however,  the  purity  of  the  doc- 
trines and  lives  of  the  Waldenses,  they  erred  in  the 
vital  point,  they  denied  the  supremacy  of  Rome,  and 
rejected  her  numerous  superstitions.  This  was  enough, 
this  alone,  to  render  them  obnoxious  to  papal  wrath. 

Besides  some  previous  oppressions  and  slaughters 
to  which  this  people  were  subject,  in  14S7,  Innocent 
VIII.  published  a  bull  against  them,  "denouncing 
them  as  heretics,  calling  upon  all  the  authorities,  spiri- 
tual and  temporal,  to  join  in  their  extermination, 
threatening  with  extreme  vengeance  such  as  should 
refuse  to  take  part  in  the  crusade,  promising  remis- 
sion of  sins  to  those  who  engaged  in  it,  and  dissolving 
all  contracts  made  with  the  offenders.  Even  the  in- 
quisitors and  monks  were  exhorted  to  take  arms 
against  them,  to  crush  them  like  poisonous  adders,  and 
to  make  all  possible  efforts  for  their  holy  extermina- 
tion. This  bull  also  granted  to  each  true  believer  a 
right  to  seize  the  property  of  the  victims  without  form 
or  process."t  The  result  of  this  bull  was,  that  the 
Vaudois  were  overrun  and  butchered  for  several 
months  by  a  body  of  eighteen  thousand  troops,  and  a 
vast  host  of  undisciplined  attendants. 

In  1540  an  edict  was  published  in  France  against  a 
portion  of  the  Waldenses  to  the  following  purport: 

*  Shobcrl,  p.  60.  t  Ibidem. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  245 

"  That  every  dissentient  from  the  holy  mother  church 
should  acknowledge  his  errors,  and  obtain  reconcilia- 
tion within  a  stated  period,  under  the  severest  penal- 
ties incase  of  disobedience;  and  because  Merindal  was 
considered  as  the  principal  seat  of  the  heresy,  that  de- 
voted town  was  ordered  to  be  razed  to  the  ground; 
all  the  caverns,  hiding-places,  cellars,  and  vaults,  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  town,  were  to  be  carefully  examined 
and  destroyed;  the  woods  were  to  be  cut  down,  the 
gardens  and  orchards  laid  waste,  and  none  who  had 
ever  possessed  a  house  or  property  in  the  town,  should 
ever  occupy  it  again,  either  in  his  own  person  or  in 
that  of  any  of  his  name  or  family,  in  order  that  the 
memory  of  the  excommunicated  sect,  might  be  utter- 
ly wiped  away  from  the  province,  and  the  place  be 
made  a  desert."* 

In  what  manner  this  decree  was  executed,  is  re- 
lated by  Anquetil,  a  Catholic  writer: — "Twenty-two 
towns  or  villages  were  burned  or  pillaged  with  an  in- 
humanity of  which  the  history  of  the  most  barbarous 
nations  scarcely  affords  an  example.  The  wretched 
inhabitants,  surprised  in  the  night,  and  hunted  from 
rock  to  rock  by  the  light  of  the  flames  which  con- 
sumed their  habitations,  frequently  escaped  one  snare 
only  to  fall  into  another.  The  pitiful  cries  of  the  aged, 
the  women,  and  the  children,  instead  of  softening  the 
hearts  of  the  soldiers,  maddened  with  rage  like  their 
leaders,  only  served  to  guide  them  in  pursuit  of  the 
fugitives.  Voluntary  surrender  did  not  exempt  the 
men  from  slaughter,  nor  the  women  from  brutal  out- 
rages at  which  nature  revolts.  It  was  forbidden  un- 
der pain  of  death  to  afford  them  harbour  or  succour. 
At  Cabrieres,  more  than  seven  hundred  men  were 
butchered  in  cold  blood;  and  the  women,  who  had  re- 
mained in  their  houses,  were  shut  up  in  a  barn  con- 
taining a  great  quantity  of  straw,  which  was  set  on 
fire,  and  those  who  endeavoured  to  escape  by  the  win- 
dows were  driven  back  with  swords  and  pikes." 

In  1655,  Charles  Emanuel,  Duke  of  Savoy,  issued 

*  Shoberl. 
22 


246  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

what  is  called  "the  bloody  ordinance  of  Gastaldo." 
This  ordinance  decreed,  "  that  such  of  the  Vaudois  as 
would  not  embrace  the  Catholic  faith,  or  sell  their  pos- 
sessions to  those  who  professed  it,  must  within  a  few 
days  quit  their  native  valleys."  To  enforce  this  de- 
cree, the  Marquis  of  Pianezza  entered  the  valleys  with 
an  army  of  fifteen  thousand  men.  One  of  the  com- 
manders in  that  expedition  gives  the  following  as  a 
specimen  of  its  general  character: — "I  was  witness," 
says  he,  "  to  many  great  violences  and  cruelties  exer- 
cised by  the  banditti  and  soldiers  of  Piedmont,  upon  all 
of  every  age,  sex  and  condition,  whom  I  myself  saw 
massacred,  dismembered,  and  ravished,  with  many 
horrid  circumstances  of  barbarity."  Such  was  the 
cruelty  of  this  holy  war,  that  all  Protestant  Europe 
was  excited  by  it.  The  following  are  extracts  of  a 
letter  written  by  the  immortal  Milton,  then  secretary 
to  Cromwell,  to  the  Duke  of  Savoy,  remonstrating  with 
him  for  such  barbarities.  "  His  serene  Highness,  the 
Protector,  has  been  informed  that  part  of  these  most 
miserable  people  have  been  cruelly  massacred  by  your 
forces,  part  driven  out  by  violence,  and  so  without 
house  or  shelter,  poor  and  destitute  of  all  relief,  to 
wander  up  and  down  with  their  wives  and  children, 
in  craggy  and  uninhabitable  places,  and  mountains 
covered  with  snow.  Oh  the  fired  houses  which  are 
yet  smoking,  the  torn  limbs  and  ground  defiled  with 
blood !  Some  men  decrepit  with  age  and  bed-rid, 
have  been  burned  in  their  beds.  Some  infants  have 
been  dashed  against  the  rocks ;  others  have  had  their 
throats  cut,  whose  brains  have,  with  more  than  Cyclo- 
pean cruelty,  been  boiled  and  eaten  by  the  murderers. 
If  all  the  tyrants  of  all  times  and  ages  were  alive  again, 
certainly  they  would  be  ashamed,  when  they  should 
find  that  they  had  contrived  nothing  in  comparison 
with  these  things,  that  might  be  reputed  barbarous 
and  inhuman." 

Such  has  been  the  character  of  this  unnatural  war, 
which  Popery  has  been  waging  for  centuries  upon 
these  inoffensive  and  feeble  disciples  of  the  Saviour. 
But  for  the  interference  of  Protestant  states,  the  very 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  247 

name  of  the  Waldenses  had  been  long  since  blotted 
out  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  And  even  to  the  pre- 
sent time  are  they  persecuted  and  oppressed  by  the 
same  unrelenting  foe;  their  privileges  being  curtailed, 
and  their  territory  rendered  smaller  and  smaller  by  the 
constant  aggressions  of  their  enemies. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  the  persecutions  waged  by  Po- 
pery  upon   the    French  Protestants,  or   Huguenots. 
D'Aubigne  not  only  affirms,  that  the  Reformation  in 
France  was  independent,  in  a  measure,  of  that  in  Ger- 
many and  Switzerland,  but  also  that  it  was  antecedent 
to  both.     "The  Reformation  was  not,  therefore,  in 
France,  an  importation  from   strangers;  it  took   its 
birth  on  the  French  territory.     Its  seed  germinated  in 
Paris;  its  earliest  shoots  were  struck  in  the  university 
itself,  that  ranked   second  in  power  in  Romanized 
Christendom.     God  deposited  the  first  principles  of 
the  work  in  the  kindly  hearts  of  some  inhabitants  of 
Picardy  and  Dauphiny,  before  it  had  begun  in  any 
other  country  of  the  globe."*     The  means  by  which 
the  gospel  made  its  early  progress  in  the  French  king- 
dom were  principally  these  three:  the  translation  of 
the  Scriptures  into  French  by  Olivetan,  the  uncle  of 
Calvin;  the  conversion  of  the  Psalms  into  metre  by  a 
popular  poet;  and  the  earnest  and  constant  preaching 
of  the  reformed  pastors.    "  The  holy  word  of  God," 
says  Quick,  "  is  duly,  truly,  and  powerfully  preached 
in  churches  and  fields,  in  ships  and  houses,  in  vaults 
and  cellars,  in  all  places  where  the  gospel  ministers  can 
have  admission  and  conveniency,  and  with  singular 
success.     Multitudes  are   convinced   and   converted, 
established  and   edified.     The  Popish  churches  are 
drained,  the  Protestant  temples  are  filled.    The  priests 
complain  that  their  altars  are  neglected,  their  masses 
are  now  indeed  solitary.     Dagon  cannot  stand  before 
God's  ark."     These  reformers  also  made  great  use  of 
singing,  employing  it  not  only  in  their  churches,  but 
also  in  family  worship,  and  even  at  their  tables. 
Such  a  state  of  things  was  not  likely  to  exist  long 

*  History  of  the  Reformation,  Book  xii. 


248         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

without  opposition  from  the  priesthood.  Hence,  of 
all  Protestant  churches,  that  in  France  has  been  chief- 
ly drenched  in  blood.  "No  where/'  says  D'Aubigne, 
"did  the  reformed  religion  so  often  have  its  dwelling 
in  dungeons,  or  bear  so  marked  a  resemblance  to  the 
Christianity  of  the  first  ages,  in  faith  and  love,  and  in 
the  number  of  its  martyrs.  If  elsewhere  it  might 
point  to  more  thrones  and  council-chambers,  here  it 
could  appeal  to  more  scaffolds  and  hill-side  meet- 
ings."* 

The  reason  why  the  French  church  has  suffered 
more  than  others,  is  to  be  found  in  the  degree  to  which 
the  reformed  opinions  spread  in  France.  These  opin- 
ions were  not  extensive  enough  to  be  universal,  nor 
were  they  limited  enough  to  be  inconsiderable.  In 
England,  Scotland,  Germany,  and  some  other  king- 
doms, the  Reformation  became  the  dominant  religion. 
In  Spain,  Italy,  Portugal,  and  some  other  states,  it  was 
too  feeble  to  endanger  many  lives.  But  France  occu- 
pied a  middle  ground.  Though  whole  provinces  be- 
came Protestant,  yet  the  kingdom  was  Catholic;  and 
though  many  of  the  princes  and  nobility  were  num- 
bered among  the  reformed,  yet  the  government  was 
popish.  This  state  of  things  placed  the  French  church 
in  a  situation  peculiarly  critical,  and  caused  her  to 
suffer  far  more  than  sister  churches  of  more  favoured 
countries. 

The  term  Huguenot,  usually  applied  to  these  French 
Protestants,  is  supposed  to  have  been  derived  from 
the  circumstance,  that  under  their  persecutions  many 
of  these  godly  people  used  to  meet  at  night  for  reli- 
gious worship  in  private  places,  near  the  town  of 
Hugon,  in  Tours.  From  these  few,  the  whole  class 
were  called,  by  way  of  derison,  Huguenots. 

Persecution  to  blood,  commenced  against  the  Hu- 
guenots, as  early  as  the  year  1524,  and  it  lasted,  in  one 
form  or  another,  till  1815.  Napoleon  granted  them 
toleration  and  equal  privileges  with  the  Catholics. 
But,  upon  the  restoration  of  the  Bourbons,  popular 

*  History  of  tho  Reformation. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  249 

phrensy  rose  so  high  in  the  province  of  Gard,  that 
several  hundred  Protestants  lost  their  lives.  Thus, 
for  a  period  of  two  hundred  and  ninety-one  years,  has 
France  dyed  herself  in  the  blood  of  some  of  her  best 
and  most  loyal  subjects,  simply  because  they  rejected 
the  religion  of  the  Pope.  Indeed,  even  to  the  present 
time,  there  is  a  species  of  persecution  kept  up  against 
the  religion  of  Protestants  in  that  country. 

Previously  to  the  year  1559,  when  a  French  Gene- 
ral Assembly  was  organized,  there  had  been  one  hun- 
dred martyrdoms  among  the  French  Calvinists.  After 
this  event  matters  became  much  worse.  Troops  were 
sent  among  them,  and  not  less  than  forty  towns,  where 
Protestantism  prevailed,  were  subject  to  their  ravages. 
The  Protestants  were  burned  or  killed  in  other  ways, 
by  the  hundred,  five  hundred,  and  in  one  instance 
twelve  hundred  are  said  to  have  suffered  at  one  time. 
It  was  at  this  period  that  the  Huguenots  fled  to  arms. 
They  resolved  to  defend  their  religion  and  their  rights 
by  the  sword.  This  movement,  be  it  remembered, 
was  not  ecclesiastical,  but  civil.  Protestants  composed 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  French  population. 
They  had  rights  as  well  as  others.  Many  of  them 
were  of  the  nobility  and  the  aristocracy  of  the  coun- 
try. When,  therefore,  the  French  government,  instead 
of  defending  those  rights^  sought  to  invade  and  over- 
throw them,  was  it  not  the  duty  of  the  Protestants  to 
defend  them?  How  could  men  see  their  property 
confiscated,  their  wives  and  daughters  insulted,  and 
themselves  murdered,  and  not  resist?  Self-defence 
is  always  lawful;  and  not  even  the  religion  of  Jesus 
was  designed  to  annihilate  its  impulses.  And  when 
a  lawful  self-defence  was  impossible,  it  was  the  duty 
of  French  citizens  to  protect  themselves  by  the  means 
that  Providence  had  put  into  their  hands.  Petitions 
to  the  king  and  parliament  were  of  no  avail;  the 
courts  gave  them  no  protection;  their  fellow  citizens 
were  seeking  their  lives  and  property.  What  could 
they  do  ?  Resistance  was  the  only  alternative — and 
they  did  resist.  In  many  battles,  too,  they  were  vic- 
torious.  This  course  brought  the  government  to  pause. 

22* 


250         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

Peace  was  made  with  the  Huguenots,  and  they  were 
allowed  certain  rights  and  privileges.  The  fatal  doc- 
trine, however,  that  leagues  and  promises  with  here- 
tics, are  not  binding,  caused  such  treaties  to  be  seve- 
ral times  violated  and  renewed.  Three  civil  wars  pre- 
ceded the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew's.  At  length, 
Charles  and  the  Catholic  party,  instigated  by  Catha- 
rine de  Medicis,  the  queen-mother,  plotted  the  secret 
destruction  of  those  who  had  been  found  too  strong 
upon  the  field  of  battle.  Margaret,  the  sister  of 
Charles,  was  to  be  married  to  the  young  King  of  Na- 
varre, who  was  one  of  the  Protestant  leaders.  For  a 
time  the  Protestants  were  loaded  with  favours  and 
caresses.  To  the  marriage  all  their  principal  men  were 
invited.  During  the  week  after  that  event,  they  were 
diverted  by  various  entertainments  and  shows.  The 
marriage  took  place  on  Sabbath,  the  17th  August, 
1572;  the  massacre  was  decreed  to  take  place  on  the 
following  Sabbath,  being  St.  Bartholomew's  day.  An 
attempt  was  first  made  to  assassinate  Coligni,the  lead- 
er of  the  Protestant  party.  He  was  wounded,  but  not 
killed.  While  this  illustrious  man  lay  in  bed  of  his 
wounds,  and  while  the  Protestants  were  all  asleep,  the 
bell  of  St.  Germain,  the  appointed  signal,  was  rung. 
The  house-doors  of  the  Protestants  had  all  been  mark- 
ed during  the  night,  with  a.  white  cross.  Upon  the 
sounding  of  the  bell,  the  streets  were  all  illuminated 
with  lights  from  the  windows  of  the  Catholics,  and 
the  soldiers  and  citizens  rushed  forth,  sword  in  hand,  to 
destroy  the  Protestants.  The  scene  which  followed  is 
indescribable.  Men,  women,  children,  the  noble,  the 
vulgar,  were  massacred  as  fast  as  found.  Some  were 
murdered  in  their  beds,  some  in  their  parlours,  some  in 
their  doors,  some  in  the  streets,  and  some  on  the  tops  of 
their  houses.  Multitudes  were  drowned  or  killed  in 
crossing  the  Seine.  "  The  rising  sun,"  says  Shoberl, 
"  never  beheld  a  scene  of  more  thrilling  horror  than 
Paris  presented  on  the  morning  of  Sunday,  the  24th 
of  August,  1572.  Blood  stained  the  doors  of  houses, 
the  interior  of  the  apartments,  the  walls  of  the  church- 
es, the  streets,  the  public  gardens.     At  every  step 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  251 

corses,  mangled  fragments  of  human  flesh,  lamenta- 
tions and  cries  of  anguish,  the  last  groans  of  agony, 
the  spoils  of  the  vanquished,  traces  of  the  passages  of 
the  conquerors,  exhibited  all  the  appearances  of  a 
town  taken  by  storm."  This  terrible  scene  continued 
the  greater  part  of  the  week  following.  It  is  estima- 
ted that  ten  thousand  Protestants,  including  the  flower 
of  the  party,  perished  on  this  occasion.  The  greatest 
possible  barbarity  was  exhibited  in  this  dreadful  mas- 
sacre. The  body  of  the  admiral,  who  was  killed  with 
the  rest,  was  treated  with  the  greatest  indignity.  Its 
members  were  cut  off,  and  the  mangled  trunk  drawn 
through  the  streets  for  three  days,  amid  the  mockery 
and  insults  of  the  populace,  after  which  it  was  sus- 
pended from  a  gallows.  The  murderers  also  placed 
themselves  upon  piles  of  the  murdered,  and  auctioned 
off  to  their  afflicted  relatives  the  bodies  of  husbands, 
brothers,  and  sons ! 

Nor  was  it  alone  at  Paris  that  the  massacre  oc- 
curred. The  command  of  Charles  was  sent  to  every 
part  of  the  kingdom,  to  destroy  in  a  similar  manner 
and  at  the  same  time,  all  the  Protestants.  "  At 
Meaux,  Orleans,  Troyes,  Lyons,  Bourges,  Rouen, 
Toulouse,  and  many  other  places,  says  a  historian, 
"  the  cruelty  of  the  Parisians  was  emulated,  and  thirty 
thousand  persons  were  murdered  in  cold  blood."* 

The  question  now  arises,  what  part  had  the  Church, 
or  rather  the  Pope,  in  these  transactions?  The  pro- 
per answer  is,  every  part.  Charles  was  a  Catholic, 
his  court  were  Catholic,  and  the  massacre  was  de- 
signed to  defend  Catholic  principles.  But  more  than 
this  is  true.  In  a  letter  addressed  to  Catharine,  just 
after  the-battle  of  Jarnac,  Pius  V.  "  assures  her,  that 
the  assistance  of  God  will  not  be  wanting,  if  she  pur- 
sues the  enemies  of  the  Catholic  religion,  until  they 
are  ail  massacred,  for  it  is  only  by  the  entire  extermi- 
nation of  the  heretics,  that  the  Catholic  worship  can 
be  restored. "  It  also  appears, from  what  M.  Daunau 
affirms,  that  the  Pope  furnished  money  for  the  des- 

*  Grimshaw. 


252  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

truction  of  these  heretics.  His  language  is,  "  Catha- 
rine de  Medicis  boasted  of  the  devotion  of  her  son 
Charles  to  the  holy  church ;  and  she  asked  money,  a 
great  deal  of  money,  because  the  war  against  heresy 
could  not  be  waged  without  money."*  In  a  letter  to 
Charles  in  1570,  and  just  after  the  battle  of  Montcon- 
tour,  the  Pope  urges  upon  the  king  the  entire  destruc- 
tion of  all  dissenters  from  the  Catholic  faith.  "  The 
fruits,"  says  he,  *  which  your  victory  ought  to  pro- 
duce, are,  the  extermination  of  those  infamous  here- 
tics, our  common  enemies.  If  your  majesty  wishes 
to  restore  the  ancient  splendour,  power  and  dignity  of 
France,  you  must  strive  most  especially  to  make  all 
who  are  subject  to  your  dominion,  profess  the  Catho- 
lic faith  alone."  Such  were  the  exhortations  of  Pope 
Pius  V.,  to  the  immediate  instruments  of  this  mas- 
sacre, just  two  years  before  it  occurred.  This  Pope, 
however,  died  a  few  months  before  the  event  occurred 
for  which  he  had  been  preparing  the  minds  of  Catha- 
rine and  Charles.  How  the  consummation  of  the 
matter  affected  Gregory  XIII. ,  his  successor,  may  be 
learned  from  the  following  facts.  When  he  heard  of 
the  massacre,  he  exclaimed — "  good  news,  good  news, 
all  the  Lutherans  are  massacred  except  the  Vendo- 
mets  (King  of  Navarre  and  Prince  of  Cond6,)  whom 
the  king  has  spared  for  his  sister's  sake."  The  same 
night  the  event  was  celebrated  by  bonfires  and  the 
firing  of  cannon  in  the  Castle  of  St.  Angeio.  "  Gre- 
gory also  ordered  a  jubilee  and  a  solemn  procession, 
which  he  accompanied  himself,  to  thank  God  for  the 
glorious  success."!  "  History  speaks  of  a  painting," 
says  Daunau,  "  which  attests  the  formal  approbation 
which  the  Pontiff  gave  to  the  assassins  of  Coligni, 
containing  the  following  inscription:  '  Pontifex  Colig- 
nii  necem  probat.'  "J  "  To  this  day  (1790)"  says  Bri- 
zard,  "the  French,  who  visit  Italy,  behold  not  without 
indignation,  this  picture,  which  though  half  effaced, 
still  portrays  but  too  faithfully  our  calamities  and  the 

*  Court  of  Rome,  p,  209. 

t  Shoberl.  t  Court  of  Rome,  p.  210. 


THE  ANTICHRIST.  253 

excesses  of  Rome."  Nor  was  this  all;  medals  were 
struck  at  Rome  having  on  one  side  an  image  of  the 
Pope;  on  the  other,  the  destroying  angel,  holding 
a  cross  in  one  hand,  and  slaughtering  the  Hugue- 
nots by  a  sword  with  the  other;  bearing  also  the  in- 
scription, "  Hugonotorum  strages." 

This  whole  work  then  of  slaughter  and  death  is  to 
be  ascribed  to  the  Papacy,  to  the  Roman  Pontiff  and 
his  colleagues.  Roman  principles,  Roman  craft,  Ro- 
man hate,  and  Roman  instruments,  produced  this 
whole  scene  of  wo  and  desolation.  The  cry  of  all 
this  blood  is  against  Rome,  against  Rome  chiefly. 
And  it  is  a  cry,  which  will  in  time,  be  heard;  for  this 
city  not  only  has  in  her  "  the  blood  of  saints  and  of 
all  that  were  slain  upon  earth;"  but  we  are  expressly 
told,  that,  in  the  day  of  wrath,  that  blood  will  be 
"  found." 

The  massacre  of  St.  Barthlomew's,  although  it  des- 
troyed, according  to  different  estimates,  from  forty  to 
one  hundred  thousand  Protestants,  yet  did  not  annihi- 
late the  party.  Many  Catholics,  too,  shocked  with  the 
wickedness  of  the  government  and  the  Pope,  united 
with  them.  Henry  III.,  the  brother  of  Charles,  formed 
an  alliance  with  them  against  the  Catholic  party, 
called  the  Holy  League.  The  successor  of  Henry  III., 
was  Henry  IV.,  the  King  of  Navarre,  who  had  been 
educated  a  Protestant.  Although  Henry  became  a 
professed  Catholic  from  political  motives,  yet,  he  did 
not  forget  the  interests  of  his  Protestant  subjects.  It 
was  this  sovereign,  who  published  in  their  behalf,  the 
famous  Edict  of  Nantes.  According  to  this  edict, 
which  was  published  in  1594,  the  government  al- 
lowed to  the  Reformed  "all  the  favours  in  which 
they  had  been  indulged  by  former  princes,  and  added, 
a  free  admission  to  all  employments  of  trust,  profit 
and  honour;  also  an  establishment  of  chambers  of 
justice  in  which  the  members  of  the  two  religions 
were  equal  in  number;  and  permission  to  educate 
their  children  in  any  of  the  universities  without  re- 
straint." Under  the  influence  of  this  edict,  which 
continued  in  force  for  ninety-one  years,  the  Protes- 


254         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

tants  enjoyed  considerable  prosperity.  Urged  how- 
ever, by  his  Catholic  subjects,  and  especially  by  the 
Jesuits,  Louis  XIV.,  revoked  this  wise  and  Christian 
Edict,  on  the  8th  October,  1685.  The  removal  of  this 
protection  exposed  the  Protestants  again  to  all  the 
evils,  losses,  insults  and  persecutions  of  the  Catholic 
priesthood.  Their  churches  were  demolished,  their 
preachers  were  banished,  and  their  children  were 
taken  from  them  at  an  early  age  to  be  educated  as 
Catholics.  It  was  at  this  time,  that  from  five  hundred 
to  eight  hundred  thousand  Huguenots  emigrated  from 
France  to  other  countries,  where  they  could  enjoy  the 
free  exercise  of  their  religion.  Even  this  relief,  how- 
ever, was  soon  taken  from  them,  emigration  being 
forbidden  upon  pain  of  death.  The  sufferings  of  the 
Protestants  at  this  time  are  inconceivable. 

Bishop  Burnet,  who  was  at  that  time  travelling  in 
France,  gives  the  following  account  of  this  persecu- 
tion. Writing  from  Nimmegen  he  says — "  I  have  a 
strong  inclination  to  say  somewhat  concerning  the 
persecution  which  I  saw  in  its  rage  and  utmost  fury, 
and  of  which  I  could  give  you  many  instances,  that 
are  so  much  beyond  all  the  common  measures  of  bar- 
barity and  cruelty,  that  I  confess  they  ought  not  to  be 
believed,  unless  I  could  give  more  positive  proofs  of 
them  than  are  fitted  now  to  be  brought  forth.  In 
short,  I  do  not  think  that  in  any  age,  there  ever  was 
such  a  violation  of  all  that  is  sacred,  either  with  rela- 
tion to  God  or  man.  Men  and  women  of  all  ages 
who  would  not  yield,  were  not  only  stript  of  all  they 
had,  but  kept  long  from  sleep,  drawn  about  from 
place  to  place,  and  hunted  out  of  their  retirements. 
The  women  were  carried  into  nunneries,  in  many  of 
which  they  were  almost  starved,  whipped  and  barba- 
rously treated.  I  went  over  a  great  part  of  France, 
from  Marseilles  to  Monlpelier,  and  from  thence  to 
Lyons,  and  so  to  Geneva.  In  all  the  towns  through 
which  I  passed,  I  heard  the  most  dismal  account  of 
things  possible.  To  complete  the  cruelty,  orders  were 
given  that  such  of  the  new  converts  as  did  not  at  their 
death  receive  the  sacrament,  should  be  denied  burial, 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  255 

and  that  their  bodies  should  be  left,  where  other  dead 
carcasses  were  cast  out  to  be  devoured  by  wolves  and 
dogs.  The  applauses  that  the  whole  clergy  give  to 
this  way  of  proceeding,  the  many  panegyrics  that  are 
already  writ  upon  it,  and  the  sermons,  that  are  all 
flights  of  flattery  upon  this  subject,  are  such  evident 
demonstrations  of  their  sense  of  this  matter,  that  what 
is  now  on  foot  may  well  be  termed  the  acts  of  the 
whole  clergy  of  France,  who  have  yet  been  esteemed 
the  most  moderate  part  of  the  Roman  communion/' 

The  above  was  written  but  eighteen  months  after 
the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes.  But  matters' 
became  much  worse.  The  following  is  the  account 
of  Quick,  the  statistical  historian  of  the  French  church, 
and  whose  work  was  published  in  London  in  1692. 
"  Afterwards,"  says  he,  "  they  fell  upon  the  persons  of 
the  Protestants,  and  there  was  no  wickedness,  though 
ever  so  horrid,  which  they  did  not  put  in  practice,  that 
they  might  force  them  to  change  their  religion.  Amidst 
a  thousand  hideous  cries  and  blasphemies,  they  hung 
up  men  and  women  by  the  hair  or  feet  to  the  roofs  of 
the  chambers,  or  hooks  of  chimneys,  and  smoked  them 
with  wisps  of  wet  hay  till  they  were  no  longer  able  to 
bear  it;  and  when  they  had  taken  them  down,  if  they 
would  not  sign  an  abjuration  of  their  pretended  here- 
sies, they  then  trussed  them  up  again  immediately. 
Some  they  threw  into  great  fires,  kindled  on  purpose, 
and  would  not  take  them  out  till  they  were  half 
roasted.  They  tied  ropes  under  their  arms,  and 
plunged  them  into  deep  wells,  from  whence  they 
would  not  draw  them  till  they  had  promised  to 
change  their  religion.  They  bound  them  as  crimi- 
nals are  when  put  to  the  rack,  and  in  that  posture, 
putting  a  funnel  into  their  mouths,  they  poured  wine 
down  their  throats,  till  its  fumes  had  deprived  them 
of  their  reason,  and  they  had  in  that  condition  made 
them  consent  to  become  Catholics.  Some  they  strip- 
ped stark  naked,  and  after  they  had  offered  them  a 
thousand  indignities,  they  stuck  them  with  pins  from 
head  to  foot;  they  cut  them  with  penknives,  tore  them 
by  the  noses  with  red  hot  pincers,  and  dragged  them 


256         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

about  the  rooms  till  they  promised  to  become  Roman 
Catholics,  or  that  the  doleful  cries  of  these  poor  tor- 
mented creatures,  calling  upon  God  for  mercy,  con- 
strained them  to  let  them  go.  They  beat  them  with 
staves,  and  dragged  them  all  bruised  to  the  Popish 
churches,  where  their  enforced  presence  is  reputed  for 
an  abjuration.  They  kept  them  waking  seven  or 
eight  days  together,  relieving  one  another  by  turns, 
that  they  might  not  get  a  wink  of  sleep  or  rest.  In 
case  they  began  to  nod  they  threw  buckets  of  water 
in  their  faces,  or  holding  kettles  over  their  heads,  they 
beat  on  them  with  such  a  continual  noise,  that  those 
poor  wretches  lost  their  senses.  If  they  found  any  sick 
who  kept  their  beds,  men  or  women,  they  were  so 
cruel,  as  to  beat  up  an  alarm  with  twelve  drums 
about  their  heads  for  a  whole  week  together,  without 
intermission,  till  they  had  promised  to  change.  In 
some  places  they  tied  fathers  and  husbands  to  the 
bed-posts,  and  ravished  their  wives  and  daughters 
before  their  eyes.  And  in  another  place  rapes  were 
publicly  and  generally  permitted  for  many  hours  to- 
gether. From  others  they  plucked  off  the  nails  from 
their  hands  and  toes.  They  burnt  the  feet  of  others. 
They  blew  up  men  and  women  with  bellows  till  they 
were  ready  to  burst  in  pieces.  If  these  horrid  usages 
could  not  prevail  upon  them  to  violate  their  con- 
sciences, and  abandon  their  religion,  they  did  then  im- 
prison them  in  close  and  noisome  dungeons,  in  which 
they  exercised  all  manner  of  inhumanities  upon  them. 
They  demolished  their  houses,  desolated  their  lands, 
cut  down  their  woods,  seized  upon  their  wives  and 
children  and  shut  them  up  in  monasteries.  When  the 
soldiers  had  devoured  all  the  goods  of  a  house,  then 
the  farmers  and  tenants  of  these  poor,  persecuted 
wretches,  must  supply  them  with  new  fuels  for  their 
lusts,  and  bring  in  more  substance  to  them.  If  any 
endeavoured  to  flee  away,  they  were  pursued  and 
hunted  in  the  fields  and  woods,  and  shot  at  as  so  many 
wild  beasts." 

The  numbers  who  perished  in  this  persecution  will 
not  be  known  till  that  day  when  the  "  books  shall  be 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  257 

opened."  Multitudes  perished  by  torture,  multitudes 
in  the  galleys  and  in  dungeons,  and  multitudes  by  the 
sword. 

For  the  accomplishment  of  this  work  of  inhumanity 
and  blood,  Pope  Innocent  XI.  thus  addresses  Louis 
XIV.  "The  Catholic  church  shall  most  assuredly 
record  in  her  sacred  annals  a  work  of  such  devotion 
towards  her,  and  celebrate  your  name  with  never 
dying  praises;  but  above  all,  you  may  most  assuredly 
promise  to  yourself,  an  ample  remuneration  from  the 
Divine  goodness  for  this  most  excellent  undertaking, 
and  may  rest  assured,  that  we  shall  never  cease  to 
pour  forth  our  most  earnest  prayers  to  that  Divine 
goodness  for  this  intent  and  purpose."* 

We  have  thus  noticed  popish  persecutions  in  but 
one  of  the  many  European  kingdoms.  What  if  we 
could  give  the  exact  statistics  of  this  persecution  in. 
all  the  rest  ?  What  if  Germany,  if  the  Netherlands,  if 
Spain,  if  Italy,  if  Portugal,  if  Switzerland,  if  Scot- 
land, if  Ireland,  if  England,  should  all  exhibit  their 
bloody  books  ?  Surely,  we  might  say  with  John, 
"  the  world  itself  could  not  contain  the  books  that 
would  be  written."  These  books,  however,  would 
not  contain  the  history  of  the  benevolent  deeds  of 
Christ,  but  accounts  of  the  malignity  and  blood-thirsti- 
ness of  Antichrist. 

Mede  has  calculated  from  good  authorities,  "  that 
in  the  war  with  the  Albigenses  and  Waldenses  there 
perished  of  these  people,  in  France  alone,  1,000,000. 
From  the  first  institution  of  the  Jesuits  to  the  year 
1580,  a  little  more  than  thirty  years,  900,000  orthodox 
Christians  were  slain.  In  the  Netherlands  alone,  the 
Duke  of  Alva  boasted,  that  within  a  few  years  he  had 
despatched  to  the  amount  of  36,000  souls,  and  those 
all  by  the  hand  of  the  common  executioner.  In  the 
space  of  scarce,  thirty  years,  the  Inquisition  destroy- 
ed by  various  kinds  of  torture,  150,000  Christians." 
Gibbon  states  it  as  a  fact,  though  a  melancholy  one, 
that  Papal  Rome  has  shed  immensely  more  Christian 

*  Lorimer's  Protestant  Church  of  France,  p.  242. 
23 


258  THE    PAPACY    PROVED    TO    BE 

blood,  than  Pagan  Rome  had  ever  done.  He  gives 
but  one  illustration ;  that,  however,  a  fearful  one. 
"In  the  Netherlands  alone,"  says  he,  "more  than 
100,000  of  the  subjects  of  Charles  V.,  are  said  to  have 
suffered  by  the  hands  of  the  executioner."* 

Nor  let  it  be  said,  that  much  of  this  bloodshed  is 
to  be  ascribed  to  European  princes  and  magistrates. 
With  equal  justice  might  the  Jew  affirm,  that  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  was  condemned  by  Pilate,  and  executed 
by  Roman  soldiers.  God,  however,  has  charged  the 
blood  of  his  Son  upon  the  Jews,  by  whose  malignity 
and  devisings  Christ  was  crucified.  Much  more  then, 
are  the  torrents  of  blood  shed  in  Europe  to  be  ascri- 
bed to  the  Papacy,  to  the  Catholic  church.  These 
princes  and  magistrates  were  Catholic  subjects,  and 
they  only  executed  the  mind  and  will  of  the  church. 
They  were  instigated  by  priests,  yea,  by  the  Pope 
himself.  They  were  often  complained  of  as  being 
too  tardy  and  too  merciful ;  yea,  some  of  them  were 
involved  in  ruin,  along  with  their  heretical  subjects, 
for  their  forbearance.  Those  of  them  too,  who  were 
most  ferocious,  who  effected  most  brutally  the  work 
of  ruin,  received  from  Catholic  dignitaries,  and  even 
from  the  Pope,  the  greatest  amount  of  commendation. 
Thus  Monfort,  Catharine  de  Medicis,  Charles  IX., 
(whose  remorse  before  death  caused  the  blood  to 
ooze  from  the  pores  of  his  body !)  Louis  XIV.,  &c, 
were  congratulated  by  the  Gregories,  and  Innocents 
of  their  timeg,  as  faithful  and  zealous  sons  of  the 
church,  and  as  worthy  the  peculiar  favour  of  heaven. 
This  alliance,  however,  or  rather  identity,  between  the 
Papacy  and  policy  of  Europe  in  persecuting  the  saints, 
is  matter  of  express  and  repeated  prophecies.  "These 
have  one  mind,"  says  John,  "and  shall  give  their 
power  and  strength  unto  the  beast."  Again,  "  For 
God  has  put  it  into  their  hearts,  to  fulfil  his  will,  and 
to  agree  and  give  their  kingdom  unto  the  beast,  until 
the  words  of  God  shall  be  fulfilled."  Rev.  xvii. 

Whether,  then,  the  Papacy  be,  or  be  not  the  subject 

*  Rome,  chap.  xvi. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  259 

of  the  prophecies  alluded  to  in  the  first  part  of  this 
chapter,  let  each  one  judge  for  himself.  Was  the 
power  predicted,  "  to  make  war  with  the  saints  and 
overcome  them?"  This  Rome  has  done.  Was  it  to 
"be  drunken  with  the  blood  of  the  saints  and  with  the 
blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus?"  No  other  kingdom 
nor  power  has  drunken  so  deeply  of  this  blood,  as 
Papal  Rome.  Was  the  blood  of  all  that  were  slain 
upon  the  earth  to  be  found  in  the  subject  of  these 
prophecies  ?  Rome  has  been,  either  directly  the  ori- 
ginator, or  indirectly  the  associate,  of  nearly  all  the 
wars  which  have  desolated  Europe  for  a  thousand 
years  past.  Thus,  as  streams  may  be  traced  to  the 
fountain,  and  rays  of  light  to  the  sun,  so  may  these 
prophecies  be  traced  to  the  Papacy,  and  applied  only 
to  it.  This  is  the  "beast  that  made  war  with  the 
saints," — this  "the  woman  in  scarlet,  drunk  with  their 
blood," — this  is  Antichrist. 


260         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 


CHAPTER  IX. 


ANTICHRIST   THE    POSSESSOR    OF   GREAT   RICHES. 

Another  scriptural  mark  of  Antichrist  is,  the  posses- 
sion of  great  riches.  "And  the  woman  was  arrayed 
in  purple  and  scarlet  colour,  and  decked  with  gold 
and  precious  stones  and  pearls,  having  a  golden  cup 
in  her  hand  full  of  abominations  and  filthiness  of  her 
fornications."  Rev.  xvii.  4.  Again  in  chapter  xviii., 
verses  16,  17,  John  represents  her  merchants  as  ex- 
claiming, upon  her  destruction,  "  Alas,  alas,  that  great 
city,  that  was  clothed  in  fine  linen,  and  purple,  and 
scarlet,  and  decked  with  gold  and  precious  stones, 
and  pearls !  for,  in  one  hour,  so  great  riches  is  come 
to  nought/' 

Bloomfield  and  Stuart  apply  the  symbols  in  these 
chapters  to  pagan  Rome;  so,  also,  does  the  commen- 
tator on  the  Do  way  Bible.  "By  Babylon,"  says  this 
Roman  Catholic  interpreter,  "is  meant,  either  the  city 
of  the  devil  in  general ;  or,  if  this  place  be  to  be  under- 
stood of  any  particular  city,  pagan  Rome,  which  then, 
and  for  three  hundred  years  persecuted  the  church, 
and  was  the  principal  seat  both  of  empire  and  idola- 
try." Even  this  popish  annotator,  however,  suggests 
another  meaning:  "The  beast  which  supports  Baby- 
lon," says  he,  "may  signify  the  power  of  the  devil, 
which  was  and  is  not,  being  much  limited  by  the 
coming  of  Christ,  but  shall  again  exert  itself  under 
Antichrist."  This  is  certainly  preferable  to  the  fol- 
lowing: "The  beast  means  the  Roman  emperors, 
specially  Nero,  of  whom  the  report  spread  throughout 
the  empire  is,  that  he  will  revive,  after  being  appa- 
rently slain,  and  will  come  as  it  were  from  the  abyss, 
or  hades."*     This  is  certainly  jejune  and  far-fetched 

*  Stuart. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  261 

enough!  and  I  am  sorry  to  say,  that  many  of  the  in- 
terpretations of  this  learned  expositor,  are  of  a  similar 
character. 

That  papal  Rome  is  chiefly  intended  in  each  of 
these  chapters,  is  almost  absolutely  certain.  The 
whole  prophecy  is  strikingly  applicable  to  papal 
Rome,  while  but  little  of  it  can  have  any  application 
to  pagan  Rome.  The  prophecy  ends  with  a  particu- 
lar description  of  the  entire  destruction  of  the  city 
spoken  of:  "The  voice  of  harpers,  and  musicians, 
and  of  pipers  and  trumpeters,  was  to  be  heard  no 
more  at  all  in  her:  the  light  of  the  candle  was  to 
shine  no  more  at  all  in  her;  and  the  voice  of  the 
bridegroom  and  of  the  bride  was  to  be  heard  no  more 
at  all  in  her."  But  the  city  of  Rome  has  never  to 
this  day,  been  thus  entirely  destroyed.  Similar  pro- 
phecies are  used  in  the  Old  Testament  in  reference  to 
Nineveh,  Babylon,  Tyre,  and  other  cities.  But  such 
prophecies  have  been  literally  fulfilled.  Where  is  Ba- 
bylon? where  is  Nineveh?  Their  very  sites  can 
scarcely  be  found.  But  Rome  still  has  music,  and 
dancing,  and  the  light  of  the  candle,  and  the  voice  of 
the  bride !  These  prophecies,  then,  have  not  all  of 
them  been  fulfilled.  But,  if  ever  fulfilled,  they  must 
be  in  papal,  and  not  in  pagan  Rome. 

If,  then,  papal  Rome  be  here  meant,  she  is  described 
as  exceedingly  rich.  And  that  this  part  of  the  pro- 
phecy is  as  applicable  to  the  Papacy,  and  has  been  as 
literally  fulfilled  as  any  other,  we  shall  presently  show. 

That  the  ministers  of  religion  should  be  supported 
by  those  for  whom  they  minister,  is  a  dictate  of  com- 
mon justice.  If  religion  be  without  any  foundation 
in  truth,  if  indeed  there  be  "no  God,"  then  should  the 
whole  system  be  abolished  as  unnecessary  and  perni- 
cious. If,  however,  there  is  a  God,  and  if  it  is  the 
duty  of  all  men  to  worship  and  serve  him,  then  ought 
the  principles  of  religion  to  be  taught,  and  its  teach- 
ers, like  all  other  citizens,  should  derive  their  support 
from  the  business  to  which  they  are  devoted.  Hence, 
among  all  nations,  provisions  have  been  made,  either 
23* 


262  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

by  the  state  or  by  independent  societies,  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  ministers  of  religion. 

This  principle  was  incorporated  into  the  Jewish 
Jaw,  and  has  also  been  sanctioned  by  Christ  and  his 
Apostles.  "  Even  so,"  says  Paul,  "  hath  the  Lord 
ordained,  that  they  which  preach  the  gospel  should 
live  of  the  gospel."  1  Cor.  ix.  14.  The  Catholic 
priesthood,  however,  have  turned  the  Christian  minis- 
try into  the  means  of  acquiring  wealth.  Originally,  its 
object  was  to  instruct  and  save  men;  support  was 
only  incidental  to  it.  It  was  so  among  the  Israelites; 
it  was  particularly  so  among  the  Apostles  and  minis- 
ters of  Christ.  Who  has  ever  heard,  that  Peter  or 
Paul,  Timothy  or  Luke,  was  enriched  by  preaching 
the  gospel?  The  first  Christians  "took  joyfully  the 
spoiling  of  their  goods,  knowing  that  they  had  in  hea- 
ven a  better  and  an  enduring  substance."  Heb.  x.  34. 
In  those  days,  a  profession  of  Christianity  subjected 
men  to  the  loss  of  their  goods,  and  its  official  publica- 
tion was  attended  with  poverty,  persecution,  and  even 
death.  "  At  first,"  says  Neander,  "  it  is  highly  pro- 
bable, that  those  who  undertook  the  church  offices  in 
various  congregations,  continued  their  former  calling, 
and  maintained  themselves  and  their  families  by  it 
afterwards,  as  they  had  done  before.  But  when  the 
members  of  the  churches  became  more  numerous, 
and  the  duties  of  the  church  officers  were  increased,  it 
was  often  no  longer  possible  for  them  to  provide  at 
the  same  time  for  their  own  support.  From  the 
church  fund,  which  was  formed  by  the  voluntary  con- 
tributions of  every  member  of  the  church,  at  every 
Sunday  service,  or,  as  in  the  north  African  church, 
on  the  first  Sunday  of  every  month,  a  part  was  used 
for  the  pay  of  the  spiritual  order."*  Such  was  the 
simple  and  moderate  way  in  which  the  first  ministers 
of  the  Christian  religion  gained  their  maintenance. 
Splendid  endowments,  large  estates,  vast  incomes, 
were  then  not  even  thought  of,  as  a  compensation  for 
ministerial  labours.     A  support  was  all  the  spiritual 

*  Church  Hist.,  part  ii.  Beet.  ii. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  263 

teacher  asked ;  it  was  all  that  the  congregation  provi- 
ded. In  after  times,  however,  matters  were  reversed, 
and,  by  the  indefinite  multiplication  of  the  ceremonies 
of  Christianity,  the  means  of  wealth  to  the  clergy 
became  proportionably  increased :  the  people  thus 
became  poor,  and  the  clergy  rich. 

This  change  in  the  original  economy  of  the  church, 
began  in  the  third  century,  when  the  church  was  uni- 
ted to  the  state  by  Constantine.  "The  bishops,"  says 
Mosheim,  "assumed  in  many  places  a  princely  autho- 
rity. They  appropriated  to  their  evangelical  function 
the  splendid  ensigns  of  temporal  majesty.  A  throne, 
surrounded  with  ministers,  exalted  above  their  equals 
the  servants  of  the  meek  and  humble  Jesus,  and  sump- 
tuous garments  dazzled  the  eyes  of  the  multitude  into 
an  ignorant  veneration  for  their  arrogated  authori- 
ty."* "From  the  year  321,"  says  Daunou,  "Constan- 
tine permitted  the  churches  to  acquire  landed  proper- 
ty, and  he  allowed  individuals  to  enrich  them  by 
legacies."!  Here  was  the  commencement  of  that 
wealth  which  afterwards  drained  the  resources  of  na- 
tions, and  was  one  principal  means  of  both  power 
and  corruption  in  the  Christian  church. 

Monastic  establishments  were  also  another  source 
of  wealth  to  the  papal  church.  These  institutions 
were  originally  designed  as  sacred  retreats  from  the 
fashions  and  pomp  of  the  world;  they  soon,  however, 
degenerated  into  the  abodes  of  vice  and  crime,  and 
became  the  banking-houses  of  all  Catholic  Europe. 
The  novice  was  required  to  surrender,  not  simply 
himself,  but  also  his  possessions  to  the  care  of  the  holy 
brethren.  Great  sums  were  appropriated  to  them  by 
the  wealthy,  and  even  governments  assisted  in  annex- 
ing to  them  rich  domains  of  landed  property.  "  Time," 
says  Gibbon,  "continually  increased,  and  accidents 
could  seldom  diminish,  the  estates  of  the  popular  mo- 
nasteries; and  in  the  first  century  of  their  institution, 
the  infidel  Zosimus  has  maliciously  observed,  that  for 
the   benefit  of  the   poor,  the   Christian   monks  had 

*  Century  iii.  t  Court  of  Rome,  p.  3. 


264  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

reduced  a  great  part  of  mankind  to  a  state  of  beg- 
gary." And  yet  he  adds  in  a  note,  "  the  wealth  of 
the  eastern  monks  (of  whom  the  above  remark  was 
made)  was  far  surpassed  by  the  princely  greatness  of 
the  Benedictines."* 

State  patronage,  however,  and  monasteries,  will 
by  no  means  account  for  the  vast  wealth  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  communion.  To  ascertain  this,  we 
must  descend  into  the  deep  caverns  of  superstition — 
we  must  follow  all  the  windings  of  papal  fraud  and 
imposition — we  must  dig  into  her  mines  of  relics — we 
must  descend  into  purgatory,  and  look  amid  its  fires; 
and,  as  if  this  were  not  enough,  we  must  ascend  up 
into  heaven,  and  there,  from  amid  the  thrones  of  saints 
and  intercessors,  we  must  follow  the  golden  streams 
that  issue  forth,  and  which,  by  means  of  priestcraft, 
are  poured  into  the  coffers  of  the  Papacy;  yes,  heaven, 
earth  and  hell,  are  all  laid  under  contributions  by  the 
inventions  of  this  tyrannical  religion,  to  sustain  the 
power  and  increase  the  wealth  of  the  hierarchy. 

The  following  is  the  testimony  of  one  who  had 
for  years  been  a  Roman  Catholic  priest.  "  Look," 
says  he,  "at  all  the  Roman  institutions;  from  its 
chief  tenets,  the  real  presence  of  God  in  the  eucha- 
rist,  and  the  infallibility  of  the  church,  down  to  the 
holy  water  and  the  wax-taper,  and  there  is  not 
one  of  them  which  is  not  either  a  means  of  grasping 
money,  or  power,  or  of  entrapping  the  female  sex  ! 
Ask,"  continues  he,  "of  popery,  who  instituted  the 
belief  of  the  real  presence  of  God  in  the  wafer?  He 
will  answer,  Christ  himself,  when  he  said  in  the  last 
supper — <  hoc  est  corpus  meurn.'  Popery  knows 
well  the  falsity  of  this  answer;  but  in  accordance 
with  this  creed,  it  has  established  the  mass,  which  pro- 
duces immense  sums  of  money  to  the  whole  priest- 
hood. Why  has  popery  established  indulgences?  In 
appearance,  it  is  a  means  of  atoning  for  one's  sins  ; 
but  in  reality,  it  is  to  coin  money  from  the  sins  of 
men.  Why  has  popery  instituted  those  thousand 
corporeal  mortifications?     In  appearance,  to  show  a 

*  Rome,  chap,  xxxvii. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  265 

great  aversion  to  earthly  pleasures ;  but  in  reality,  to 
have  an  occasion  for  selling  dispensations  to  many 
people,  who  have  neither  the  courage  nor  desire  to 
practice  mortifications.  Why  has  popery  established 
those  intimate  relations  between  saints  and  men  upon 
the  earth,  through  relics,  images,  adorations,  and  a 
thousand  other  superstitions  ?  In  appearance,  to  help 
us  in  the  great  work  of  our  salvation ;  but  in  reality, 
to  place  itself  as  an  intermediate  between  saints  and 
men,  and  to  sell  their  intercession ;  to  make  money  with 
all  these  practices  and  beliefs,  and  root  more  deeply  its 
power  in  each  mind."*  Nor  are  facts  like  these  sup- 
ported by  the  testimony  of  a  single  priest — it  is  the 
testimony  of  all  history.  "  Many  of  the  peculiar  and 
prominent  characteristics  in  the  faith  and  discipline  of 
those  ages,"  says  Hallam,  "appear  to  have  been  either 
introduced,  or  sedulously  promoted,  for  the  purposes  of 
sordid  fraud.  To  those  purposes  conspired  the  vene- 
ration for  relics,  the  worship  of  images,  the  idolatry  of 
saints  and  martyrs,  the  religious  inviolability  of  sanc- 
tuaries, the  consecration  of  cemeteries — but  above  all, 
the  doctrine  of  purgatory,  and  masses  for  the  relief  of 
the  dead.  A  creed  thus  continued,  operating  upon  the 
minds  of  barbarians,  lavish  though  rapacious,  and 
devout  though  dissolute,  naturally  caused  a  torrent  of 
opulence  to  pour  in  upon  the  church.  Donations  of 
lands  were  continually  made  to  the  bishops,  and  still, 
in  more  ample  proportions,  to  the  monastic  founda- 
tions. Large  private  estates,  or,  as  they  were  termed, 
patrimonies,  not  only  within  their  dioceses,  but  some- 
times in  distant  countries,  sustained  the  dignity  of  the 
principal  sees,  and  especially  that  of  Rome.  The 
French  monarchs  of  the  first  dynasty,  the  Carlovin- 
gian  family  and  their  great  chief,  the  Saxon  line  of 
emperors,  the  kings  of  England  and  Leon,  set  hardly 
any  bounds  to  their  liberality,  as  numerous  charters 
still  extant  in  diplomatic  collections  attest.  Many 
churches  possessed  seven  or  eight  thousand  mansi: 
one  with  only  two  thousand,  passed  for  only  indif- 

*  Con.  Cath.  Priest,  pages  5—7. 


266  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

ferently  rich.  And,  as  if  all  these  methods  for  accumu- 
lating what  they  could  not  legitimately  enjoy,  were 
insufficient,  the  monks  prostituted  their  knowledge  of 
writing  to  the  purpose  of  forging  charters  in  their  own 
favour !  If  it  had  not  been,"  says  the  same  author, 
"  for  certain  drawbacks,  the  clergy  must,  one  would 
imagine,  have  almost  acquired  the  exclusive  property 
of  the  soil.  They  did  enjoy  nearly  one  half  of  Eng- 
land, and,  I  believe,  a  greater  proportion  in  some 
countries  of  Europe."  In  a  note  he  also  states,  that, 
"  according  to  a  calculation  founded  on  a  passage  in 
Knyghton,  the  revenue  of  the  English  church  in  1337, 
amounted  to  seven  hundred  and  seventy  thousand 
marks  per  annum;"*  that  is,  according  to  the  esti- 
mate of  the  same  author,  about  fifty-three  million 
nine  hundred  thousand  dollars  !  Nor  is  this  all :  the 
Pope  came  in  for  his  share  of  the  spoils.  Besides 
tythes,  Peter-pence,  &c,  which  he  usually  received 
from  the  English  church  and  government,  in  his  war 
with  the  Emperor  Frederic,  he  laid  a  special  tax  upon 
the  church  of  England.  "The  usurers  of  Cahors  and 
Lombardy,"  says  Hallam,  "residing  in  London,  took 
up  the  trade  of  agency  for  the  Pope;  and  in  a  few 
years,  he  is  said  partly  by  levies  of  money,  partly  by 
the  revenues  of  benefices,  to  have  plundered  the  king- 
dom of  nine  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  marks ;  a 
sum,  equivalent,  I  think,  to  not  less  than  fifteen  mil- 
lions sterling  at  present." 

But  let  us  adduce  other  testimony.  Hume,  in  his 
History  of  England,  states,  that  "among  their  other 
inventions  to  obtain  money,  the  clergy  had  inculcated 
the  necessity  of  penance,  as  an  atonement  for  sin ; 
and  having  again  introduced  the  practice  of  paying 
them  large  sums,  as  a  commutation,  or  species  of 
atonement  for  the  remission  of  those  penances,  the 
sins  of  the  people  by  these  means  had  become  a 
revenue  to  the  priests;  and  the  king  computed,  that 
by  this  invention  alone,  they  levied  more  money  upon 
his  subjects,  than  flowed  by  all  the  funds  and  taxes 

.    *  Middle  Ages,  chap.  vii. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  267 

into  the  royal  exchequer."*  The  same  author  states, 
that  during  the  reign  of  Edward  III.,  A.  D.,  1253-55, 
Otho,  the  Pope's  legate,  "  carried  more  money  out  of 
the  kingdom  than  he  left  in  it."  About  this  time,  the 
chief  benefices  in  England  were  conferred  upon  Ita- 
lians, most  of  whom  were  non-residents.  A  com- 
plaint was  consequently  entered  by  the  king  and 
nobility  before  the  Pope,  at  a  general  council  held  at 
Lyons,  "that  the  benefices  of  the  Italian  clergy  in 
England,  had  been  estimated,  and  were  found  to 
amount  to  sixty  thousand  marks  a  year,  a  sum  which 
exceeded  the  annual  revenue  of  the  crown  itself." 
Instead,  however,  of  this  complaint  arresting  the 
rapacity  of  the  Pope,  "  Innocent  exacted  the  reve- 
nues of  all  vacant  benefices;  the  twentieth  of  all 
ecclesiastical  revenues  without  exception,  the  third  of 
such  as  exceeded  a  hundred  marks  a  year,  and  the 
half  of  such  as  were  possessed  by  non-residents.  He 
claimed  the  goods  of  all  intestate  clergymen ;  he  pre- 
tended a  title  to  inherit  all  money  gotten  by  usury ; 
he  levied  benevolences  upon  the  people ;  and  when 
the  king  prohibited  these  exactions,  he  threatened  to 
pronounce  upon  him  the  same  censures,  which  he 
had  emitted  against  the  Emperor  Frederic."t 

During  the  reign  of  Henry  IV.,  A.  D.,  1413,  "the 
Commons,"  says  the  same  author,  "made  a  calcula- 
tion of  the  ecclesiastical  revenues,  which,  by  their 
account,  amounted  to  four  hundred  and  eighty-five 
thousand  marks  a  year,  (about  thirty-three  millions 
nine  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,)  and  con- 
tained eighteen  thousand  four  hundred  ploughs  of 
land.  They  proposed  to  divide  this  property  among 
fifteen  new  earls,  one  thousand  five  hundred  knights, 
six  thousand  esquires,  and  a  hundred  hospitals ;  be- 
sides twenty  thousand  pounds  a  year  which  the  king 
might  take  for  his  own  use:  and  they  insisted,  that 
the  clerical  functions  would  be  better  performed  than 
at  present,  by  fifteen  thousand  parish  priests,  paid  at 
the  rate  of  seven  marks  a  piece  of  yearly  stipend." 

*  Henry  II.,  A.  D.  1163.  t  Henry  III. 


26S  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

According  to  this  estimate  of  the  House  of  Commons, 
the  Roman  Catholic  religion  taxed  the  English  public 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  IV.,  about  twenty-six  millions 
six  hundred  thousand  dollars  of  our  money  more  than 
the  support  of  the  gospel  in  that  kingdom  required! 
This  is  also  exclusive  of  the  proceeds  from  the  lands ! 
Can  any  one  imagine  a  greater  oppression  ?  Can  any 
one  conceive  of  a  wider  departure  from  the  simple  and 
unpretending  religion  of  Jesus?  And  to  make  the 
picture  still  more  dark,  all  this  went  to  a  priesthood, 
who,  for  the  greater  part,  led  vicious  and  dissolute 
lives. 

The  fiscal  condition  of  the  Catholic  church  in  Eng- 
land during  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.,  and  in  the  year 
1538,  when  the  monasteries  and  other  religious  institu- 
tions were  suppressed,  may  be  learned  from  a  work 
in  the  British  Museum,  published  in  1717.  This 
work  is  termed,  "  A  summary  of  all  the  religious 
houses  in  England  and  Wales,  with  their  titles  and 
valuations  at  the  time  of  their  dissolution/'  The 
number  of  such  houses  "  is  stated  to  be  one  thousand 
and  forty-one  ;  the  aggregate  annual  valuation  of  them 
at  the  same  period  was  £273,106,  reckoning  only  the 
rent  of  the  manors  and  produce  of  the  demesnes,  and 
excluding  fines,  heriots,  renewals,  dividends,  &c. 
This  sum  would  be  represented  in  1717,  a  little  less 
than  two  hundred  years  afterwards,  as  stated  by  the 
same  authority,  by  £3,277,282,  as  a  consequence  of 
the  decrease  in  the  value  of  money.  Assuming  that 
the  decrease  has  been  the  same  in  the  last  century,  it 
would  now  be  represented  by  about  £20,000,000;  or 
$96,000,000! 

"  The  proportion  of  the  land  of  the  country,  held  by 
the  church  at  that  time,  and  of  which  the  monks  were 
lords,  is  stated  at  fourteen  parts  in  twenty.  In  1815, 
the  annual  assessed  value  of  the  real  property  of  Eng- 
land and  Wales,  as  stated  in  parliamentary  records  was 
£51,874,490.  Fourteen  twentieths  of  this  sum,  being 
the  ancient  proportion  of  the  church  revenues,  would 
be  about  £34,500,000,  or,  $166,987,168  !  a  sum,  three 
fourths  as  large  as  the  present  annual  revenue  of  the 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  269 

government  of  Great  Britain,  from  all  its  sources  and 
for  all  its  purposes.  Besides,  too,  this  amazing  absorp- 
tion of  the  public  wealth  by  the  regular  orders  of  the 
priesthood,  there  were  four  orders  of  mendicant  monks, 
who  not  only  lived  on  the  residue  of  the  property  of 
the  country,  but  abstracted  large  sums  for  their  pious 
purposes.  It  is  also  stated  by  the  same  authority,  that 
the  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany — which  is  a  district  of 
Italy" one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  by  one  hundred — 
once  ascertained  and  published,  that  the  Church  of 
Rome  absorbed  seventeen  parts  in  twenty  of  the  re- 
venue of  the  land  within  his  jurisdiction"!  !* 

Here  then,  is  the  state  of  things,  at  the  time  of  the 
Reformation.  Was  ever  an  event  more  needed  than 
that  Reformation  ?  Here  we  see  the  professed  minis- 
ters of  Christ,  who  himself"  had  not  where  to  lay  his 
head,"  not  only  lording  it  over  princes  in  power  and 
authority,  but  actually  undermining  their  thrones  and 
all  national  prosperity,  by  an  accumulation  of  wealth 
truly  fearful. 

But  it  is  alleged,  that  Popery  has  changed,  that  it  is 
not  now  so  exorbitant.  Let  us  see.  "In  France," 
says  the  same  author,  "  under  the  old  regime  in  17S9, 
the  annual  revenues  of  the  church  were  405,000,000 
francs  ;  or,  £16,200,000  ;  or,  $77,760,000.  Under  the 
present  system  it  is  but  $6,182,400,  and  divided  among 
Catholics  and  Protestants  acccording  to  their  num- 
bers." That  is,  when  the  Catholic  church  in  France 
had  full  sway,  and  only  as  late  as  17S7,  that  church 
levied  upon  the  country,  71,577,600  dollars,  beyond 
the  sum  which  is  appropriated  at  present  for  the  sup- 
port of  religion  in  France. 

The  state  of  things  is  no  better  in  Spain.  "  The 
sum  which  the  church  property  of  Spain  would  yield, 
after  providing  for  the  decent  maintenance  of  the 
clergy,  was  calculated  by  the  Cortes  of  1822,  when 
joined  to  certain  royal  domains,  lying  useless  to  the 
state,  to  amount  to  £92,00,000;  or,  $441,600,000!! 
The  present  entire  annual   revenue  of  the  Spanish 

*  Cotton's  Four  Years,  ii.  113. 
24 


270         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

church,  is  £10,514,000  ;  that  of  the  state  as  lately  re- 
ported hy  Count  de  Toreno,  is  about  £5,000,000;"* 
that  is,  the  Spanish  church  absorbs  twice  the  income 
of  the  kingdom  of  Spain  ! 

The  question  naturally  rises  here,  what  becomes  of 
so  much  money  ?  The  proper  answer,  no  doubt  is, 
that  it  requires  all  this  capital  to  forge  the  bolts  and 
bars,  and  to  weld  the  chains,  by  which  200,000,000  of 
people  are  kept  subject  to  a  system  of  priestcraft  and 
superstition,  the  most  monstrous  and  terrific  that  has 
ever  existed  upon  the  earth.  There  is  probably  not  a 
country  on  the  globe,  where  the  power  of  such  capi- 
tal is  not  felt.  See  at  present,  even  in  these  United 
States,  what  European  and  priestly-gotten  wealth  is 
accomplishing!  See  the  splendid  cathedrals,  the  noble 
churches,  the  costly  buildings,  which  these  hidden 
streams  of  money  are  starting  up  among  us! 

Besides  this  general  use  of  such  funds,  it  requires 
vast  resources  to  support  Popery.  Superstition  is 
always  an  expensive  system.  Truth  is  simple;  and 
requires  but  small  means.  Error,  however,  is  complex 
and  involved,  and  demands  the  glitter  of  much  gold 
and  silver  to  sustain  it.  The  number  of  ecclesiastics 
in  Spain  as  estimated  within  a  few  years  past,  is 
160,043.  Besides  these,  there  are  lay-assistants  to  the 
amount  of  20,346;  making  a  total  to  be  provided  for 
of  206,002.  When  the  population  of  Spain  is  divided 
by  this  sum,  it  will  give  one  ecclesiastic  or  lay-assis- 
tant, to  about  every  sixty-seven  persons.  Now,  how 
is  it  possible  for  sixty-seven  persons,  large  and  small, 
either  to  take  up  the  whole  time  of  a  religious  teacher, 
or  to  render  him  a  support?  Add  to  this  the  princely 
mode  of  living  among  bishops,  archbishops,  cardinals, 
and  popes,  and  we  shall  soon  see,  that  the  popish 
system  is  and  must  be,  not  only  the  most  tyrannical 
system  on  the  globe,  but  also,  the  most  expensive. 

But  let  us  go  to  Rome  itself.  See  there  the  successor 
of  St.  Peter  occupying  the  throne  of  the  Caesars — 
not  only  the  king  and  sovereign  of  the  States  of  the 

*  Cotton's  Four  Years,  p.  115. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  271 

Church,  but  the  emperor  over  far  and  distant  nations. 
Look  at  the  Vatican,  look  at  St.  Peter's !  What  wealth, 
what  immense  wealth  exhibits  itself  around  the  very 
seat  of  him,  who  styles  himself,  the  vicegerent  of 
Christ  on  earth  !  Nor  is  this  all ;  all  kinds  of  supersti- 
tions are  practised  in  Rome  for  the  sake  of  getting 
money.  "  I  thought,"  says,  Dr.  Sturtevant,  writing 
from  Rome,  "  when  I  last  wrote  to  you,  that  I  had  some 
faint  glimpse  of  the  deceits  and  delusions  practised  on 
the  followers  of  popery.  I  could  see  depths,  frightful 
and  immense,  of  treasures  of  gold  and  silver,  which 
papal  imposition  had  extorted  from  the  ignorant  and 
superstitious,  to  pamper  and  uphold  the  dominion  of 
the  prince  of  darkness ;  but  I  had  not  fathomed  the 
greatest  reservoir  of  all,  I  mean  indulgences.  No 
measures  also  are  untried,  that  crafty  policy  suggests, 
to  solicit  contrihutions  for  the  relief  of  suffering  souls 
in  purgatory.  Agents  bearing  lanterns  with  a  painted 
glass,  representing  naked  persons  enveloped  in  flames, 
parade  the  streets  and  enter  houses  with  tales  that 
alarm,  and  appeals  that  excite  the  compassion  of  these 
holy  souls.  So  great  is  the  dread  of  purgatory,  that 
besides  the  satisfactions  they  make  in  their  lifetime, 
many  deluded  souls  leave  large  legacies  to  the  church 
to  procure  masses  daily,  weekly,  monthly,  and  yearly, 
as  far  as  their  money  will  go.  Many  would  rather 
starve  their  surviving  families,  than  neglect  the  souls 
of  the  departed.  This  doctrine  is  a  mine  as  profitable 
to  the  church  as  the  Indies  to  Spain."*  All  this 
takes  place  under  the  eye,  and  by  the  authority  of  the 
Pope ;  yea,  he  himself  is  the  chief  tradesman  in  such 
things.  The  same  writer  speaks  of  the  Pope  himself, 
as  at  one  time  clothed  "in  robes  of  white  and  silver;" 
at  another  as  decked  "  in  scarlet  and  gold."  The 
crowns  and  mitres  of  the  bishops  and  cardinals  who 
attended  his  Holiness,  were  also  "glittering  with 
jewels  and  set  with  precious  stones."  Surely,  we 
have  here  almost  the  exact  counterpart  of  what  John 
predicts — "  And  the  woman  was  arrayed  in  purple 

*  Letters  from  Rome. 


272         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

and  scarlet  colour,  and  decked  with  gold  and  precious 
stones  and  pearls."  And  if  we  consider  the  vast  trea- 
sures of  the  Roman  Catholic  priesthood  in  all  coun- 
tries, and  the  wonderful  resources  of  Roman  Catholic 
institutions,  the  exclamation  "  so  great  riches  !"  used 
by  the  inspired  writer,  will  not  be  found  inappro- 
priate. 

Thus  have  we  ascertained  another  coincidence  be- 
tween Antichrist  and  the  Papacy.  Antichrist  was  to 
revel  in  wealth,  and  glitter  in  jewelry  and  pearls. 
He  was  to  possess  the  riches  of  the  nations.  Rome 
has  enjoyed  all  these  for  centuries.  Seated  as  a 
queen,  this  idolatrous  church  has  decorated  herself 
for  the  espousals  of  all  the  kings  and  princes  of  Eu- 
rope, and  of  the  world.  She  has  had  no  mean  lovers; 
for  the  great  and  the  noble,  conquerors  and  sover- 
eigns, have  all  bent  at  her  feet  and  reveled  in  her 
smiles.  But  this  very  glory  in  which  she  arrays  her- 
self, these  meretricious  ornaments  in  which  she  dis- 
plays herself  before  the  nations,  only  proclaim  with 
the  tongue  of  living  thunder,  that  she  is  not  the 
spouse  of  Christ ;  and  that  the  day  of  her  doom  is 
approaching,  when  "  the  voice  of  the  bride  will  no 
longer  at  all  be  heard  in  her;  and  when  the  light  of 
a  candle  shall  no  longer  at  all  shine  in  her."  Hasten 
it,  0  Lord,  in  its  time,  and  let  all  the  powers  of  Anti- 
christ fall  before  thy  victorious  truth  ! 


THE    ANTICHRIST. 


273 


CHAPTER  X. 


ANTICHRIST    THE    POSSESSOR    OF    GREAT    POWER. 

A  large  number  of  scriptural  predictions  concerning 
Antichrist,  refer  to  the  extent  and  greatness  of  his 
dominion.  Daniel  asserts  that  "  his  look  was  more 
stout  than  his  fellows:"  that  is,  that  the  evil  power 
spoken  of,  should  be  an  object  of  greater  notoriety, 
than  the  other  ten  kingdoms,  with  which  it  was  to  be 
associated.  The  saints  of  the  Most  High  were  also  to 
be  "given  into  his  hand,"  for  a  period  of  twelve  hun- 
dred and  sixty  years ;  and  even  then,  were  to  be  de- 
livered from  his  hand  only  by  some  remarkable  inter- 
positions of  God  himself.  Dan.  vii. 

The  Apostle  Paul  describes  the  same  wicked  king, 
as  "opposing  and  exalting  himself  above  all  that  is 
called  God,  or  that  is  worshipped,"  2  Thess.  ii.  4: 
that  is,  as  elevating  himself  to  the  very  pinnacle  of 
power  both  in  church  and  state.  The  Apostle  John, 
however,  is  more  explicit  in  his  description.  In  refer- 
ence to  this  same  evil  king,  or  Autichrist,  represented 
as  a  beast  rising  out  of  the  sea,  he  says :  "And  the 
dragon  gave  him  his  power,  and  his  seat  and  great 
authority."  The  dragon  here  referred  to,  is  pagan 
Imperial  Rome.  Antichrist,  therefore,  occupying  the 
very  metropolis  of  the  old  Roman  Empire,  was  to 
possess  both  its  authority  and  power.  But  this  is  not 
all;  "power  was  given  him,"  says  John,  "over  all 
kingdoms,  and  tongues  and  nations."  Since  the  pre- 
vious description  represented  the  power  of  Antichrist, 
as  co-extensive  with  that  of  the  Roman  Empire,  it  is 
probable,  that  the  "kindreds,  and  tongues  and  na- 
tions," here  spoken  of,  were  such  as  were  previously 

24* 


274         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

subject  to  Roman  authority.  But  the  direct  power 
of  Antichrist  was  to  be  as  absolute  as  his  dominion 
was  extensive.  "And  he  causeth  all,  both  small  and 
great,  rich  and  poor,  free  and  bond,  to  receive  a  mark 
in  their  right  hand  or  in  their  foreheads;  and  that 
no  man  might  buy  or  sell,  save  he  that  had  the  mark, 
or  the  name  of  the  beast,  or  the  number  of  his  name." 
'All  the  offices  and  privileges  of  society,  were  to  be 
interdicted  to  all,  be  they  sovereigns  or  subjects,  high 
or  low,  who  should  not  yield  implicit  obedience  to 
this  tyrannizing  power.  The  means,  too,  by  which 
this  evil  king  was  to  exercise  such  dominion  is  also 
foretold.  "The  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest  are  ten 
kings;  these  have  one  mind,  and  shall  give  their 
power  and  strength  to  the  beast."  Rev.  xiii.  xvii. 
Antichrist  is  himself  but  "a  little  horn," — his  regal 
power  is  small;  but,  by  means  of  the  ten  greater 
horns,  or  kingdoms,  which  with  himself  arose  out  of 
the  ruins  of  old  Rome,  he  exercises  an  absolute  sover- 
eignty over  the  earth.  Such  are  some  of  the  many 
predictions  concerning  the  power  and  dominion  of 
Antichrist.  Nor  can  one  well  avoid  exclaiming  while 
reading  such  prophecies,  Surely  John  must  be  the 
historian  and  not  the  prophet,  of  modern  Europe  ! 
But  the  infatuation  of  the  human  mind,  when  under 
the  influence  of  error,  is  amazing.  The  Jews,  even 
while  crucifying  the  true  Messiah,  were  looking  for 
a  messiah  to  come ;  and  Papists,  while  exhibiting  in 
their  own  system,  and  especially  in  their  head,  all  the 
full-drawn  features  of  the  scriptural  Antichrist,  are 
yet  speaking  of  Antichrist  as  something  future. 

We  are  now  prepared  to  meet  the  Papist  on  his 
own  ground.  He  boasts  of  antiquity,  of  universal- 
ity, of  authority,  and  of  unity.  All  these  in  a  certain 
sense  we  grant  him.  But,  then,  these  very  things  are 
the  evidences  of  the  antichristian  character  of  his 
whole  system.  They  are  the  marks  of  "  the  beast," 
they  are  the  boastings  of  the  "  little  horn  ;"  they  are 
the  exaltations  of  "  the  man  of  sin ;"  they  are  the 
divinely  inspired  criteria,  by  which  the  people  of  God 
are  to  know  and  avoid  Antichrist. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  275 

That  Jesus  Christ  did  not  lodge  either  supreme 
spiritual,  or  supreme  temporal  power,  in  the  hands 
of  any  one  man,  must  appear  evident  to  every  candid 
reader  of  the  New  Testament.  It  is  true,  that  during 
the  lifetime  of  our  Lord,  and  for  some  time  after- 
wards, Peter,  because  more  bold  and  fervid,  and  be- 
cause he  was  older  probably  than  the  other  Apostles, 
acted  a  more  conspicuous  part  than  his  brethren. 
Equally  true,  however,  it  is,  that  the  Apostle  Paul, 
because  yet  bolder  and  more  daring  than  even  Peter, 
and  possibly  more  endued  from  heaven,  is  repre- 
sented in  the  later  periods  of  the  inspired  history,  as 
taking  the  lead  of  all  the  Apostles  in  the  Christian 
ministry.  But  neither  of  these  Apostles  is  spoken  of 
as  being  the  head  over  the  other.  Nor  were  they,  or 
either  of  them,  promoted  in  the  apostolic  office,  above 
their  fellow  Apostles.  As  witnesses  of  the  life,  char- 
acter, doctrines,  death  and  resurrection  of  their  com- 
mon Master,  the  Apostles  were  all  on  an  exact 
equality.  As  publishers  of  his  gospel  to  mankind, 
they  had  all  received,  not  a  similar,  but  the  same 
commission.  As  sharers  in  the  influences  and  gifts 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  they  had  all  partaken  of  one  com- 
mon baptism.  And  as  planters  of  churches,  and 
overseers,  of  the  flock  of  Christ,  they  were  all  equally 
interested,  equally  esteemed.  No  disparity  is  there 
among  them,  except  in  gifts  and  natural  endow- 
ments, except  in  grace  and  its  manifold  operations.  In 
office  they  were  one,  in  honour  one,  in  love  one. 
They  were  one  family,  one  brotherhood,  one  Apos- 
tolate. 

Much  less  did  Jesus  entrust  to  the  hands  of  any  one, 
or  even  all  of  his  Apostles,  supreme  temporal  author- 
ity. He  taught  them,  that  "  his  kingdom  was  not  of  this 
world,"  and  "  to  render  unto  Caesar  the  things  that 
were  Caesar's."  The  Apostles,  too,  following  the  in- 
structions of  their  Master,  enjoined  it  upon  their  dis- 
ciples, "to  be  subject  to  the  higher  powers,"  assur- 
ing them,  that  "  the  powers  that  be  are  ordained 
of  God,"  and  were  therefore  entitled  to  obedience  and 
respect  from  all   Christians.    Rom.  xiii.     "  Whoever 


276  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

has  read  the  gospel,"  says  a  Catholic  writer,  "knows, 
that  Jesus  Christ  founded  no  temporal  government,  no 
political  sovereignty.  St.  Peter  and  his  colleagues 
were  sent,  not  to  govern,  but  to  teach;  and  the  autho- 
rity with  which  they  were  invested,  consisted  only  in 
the  light  and  benefits  which  they  had  to  diffuse.  Eve- 
ry one  knows,  he  continues,  that  before  Constantine, 
the  Christian  churches  were  only  particular  associa- 
tions, too  often  proscribed,  and  always  strangers  to  the 
political  system.  The  popes  (bishops)  in  those  times 
of  persecution,  and  of  fervour,  certainly  did  not  aspire 
to  the  government  of  provinces.  It  was  enough  for 
them  to  have  the  power  of  being  virtuous  with  impu- 
nity. They  obtained  on  earth  no  crown,  but  that  of 
martyrdom."  * 

Such  was  the  state  of  original  Christianity.  No 
supreme  spiritual,  or  supreme  temporal  power,  was 
placed  in  the  hands  of  any  one  man.  The  Apostles, 
as  such,  were  on  a  perfect  equality.  The  same  equal- 
ity was  maintained  among  the  ministers  who  suc- 
ceeded them.  The  churches  were  separate  associa- 
tions, each  possessing  its  own  local  officers,  and  each 
independent  of  the  rest.  Nor  was  Christianity  united 
to  the  state ;  it  was  enough,  that  it  was  tolerated  by 
the  civil  authority. 

It  is  a  singular  phenomenon,  however,  in  the  history 
of  the  world,  that  the  system  of  religion  which  Jesus 
taught,  of  which  he  was  himself  the  pattern,  and 
which  he  left  to  mankind  as  a  rich  legacy — that  a  re- 
ligion so  pure,  so  unostentatious,  so  separated  from 
the  insignia  of  power,  that  such  a  religion  should  have 
been  so  perverted  in  the  hands  of  wicked  men,  as  to 
become  the  greatest  engine  of  power,  the  world  has 
ever  known;  that  its  very  doctrines,  and  promises,  and 
revelations,  its  officers  and  organization,  its  rewards 
and  its  hopes — that  all  these,  so  full  of  grace,  so  re- 
dolent of  heaven,  should  be  formed  into  a  great  sys- 
tem of  terror,  in  which  the  powers  of  three  worlds 
are  made  to  rest  in  fearful  suspense  upon  the  conscien- 

*Duunou,  p.  1 — 3. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  277 

ces  of  mankind !  This  transformation,  we  say,  is  won- 
derful, is  wonderful  indeed.  And  yet  it  is  a  transfor- 
mation which  has  actually  taken  place;  yea,  upon 
which  the  eyes  of  men  for  more  than  ten  centuries 
have  been  quietly  gazing. 

The  power  of  the  Papacy  is  three-fold,  indicated, 
as  some  say,  by  the  triple  crown,  which  the  Pope 
wears  as  the  badge  of  his  dominion.  The  first  of 
these  is  regal,  or  that  which  he  wields  over  the 
"states  of  the  church."  The  second  is  pontifical; 
or  that  which  he  exercises  as  supreme  head  of  the 
church.  The  third  is  imperial,  or  that  which  he 
would  exercise  over  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

It  is  not  intended  to  dwell  upon  the  first  of  these 
powers.  According  to  most  historians,  the  Pope  be- 
came a  -temporal  prince  in  the  year  754,  by  a  grant 
from  Pepin,  king  of  France.  This  temporal  dominion, 
the  Pope  has  possessed  ever  since.  In  itself  it  may 
be  considered  a  small  matter;  the  prince  of  a  petty 
state,  is  not  likely  to  exert  any  great  influence  any 
way,  upon  the  history  and  destiny  of  nations.  Even 
this  fact,  however,  has  in  it  a  remarkable  fulfilment 
of  prophecy.  "  I  considered  the  horns,"  says  Daniel, 
"and  behold  there  came  up  among  them  another  little 
horn ;  before  whom  there  were  three  of  the  first  horns 
plucked  up  by  the  roots."  This  prediction  accurately 
describes  the  Papacy  as  a  temporal  sovereignty.  It 
came  up  among,  or  as  some  say,  behind,  or  accord- 
ing to  others  after,  the  first  ten  horns  upon  the  Roman 
beast.  The  Pope  as  a  temporal  prince,  is  located  on 
the  very  apex,  if  we  may  so  say,  of  the  head  of  the 
beast.  He  is  the  central  power.  He  came  up  too, 
later  than  the  rest ;  the  ten  Gothic  kingdoms,  having 
been  previously  formed.  He  also  arose  imperceptibly 
into  this  condition.  Even  to  this  day  is  it  debated, 
precisely  when  the  Pope  became  a  temporal  prince. 
The  fact  then,  that  the  chief  pontiff  of  Christendom 
is  the  sovereign  also  of  a  petty  kingdom,  though  in 
itself  unimportant,  yet  is  essential  to  the  scriptural 
evidence,  that  the  Papacy  is  Antichrist.  It  is  one  of 
those  personal  and  smaller  matters,  which  as  strongly 


278         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

as  any  thing  else,  indicate  the  fulfilment  of  a  particu- 
lar prophecy. 

It  is,  however,  the  possession  by  the  Papacy  of  the 
supreme  spiritual,  and  the  supreme  temporal  power, 
which  must  chiefly  engage  our  attention.  We  are  to 
survey  the  Pope,  not  as  a  petty  Italian  prince,  but  as 
the  chief  pontiff  and  the  august  emperor  of  Christen- 
dom. It  is  in  the  occupancy  and  exercise  of  these 
two  offices,  that  the  Papacy  has  disturbed,  or  rather 
moulded,  all  the  political  and  religious  systems  of  Eu- 
rope ;  and  it  is  in  its  assumption  of  these  fearful  pow- 
ers, that  its  antichristian  character  is  most  discernible. 

The  spiritual  government  at  Rome  may  be  divided 
into  four  periods — the  congregational  and  presbyterial, 
the  episcopal,  the  patriarchal,  and  the  papal. 

The  original  church  government  at  Rome  was  con- 
gregational and  presbyterial.  The  supreme  power 
was  in  the  church,  or  body  of  believers;  the  officers 
of  the  church  were  presbyters  and  deacons.  The 
Epistle  to  the  Romans  is  addressed  by  Paul  "  to  all 
that  be  in  Rome,  beloved  of  God,  called  to  be  saints." 
Rom.  i.  7.  Again  the  Epistle  of  Clement  to  the  Corin- 
thians is  from  "the  church  of  God  which  is  at  Rome."* 
If  then,  Paul  wrote  not  to  one  man,  or  to  a  body  of 
men,  but  to  the  church  generally;  and  if  Clement  wrote 
not.  in  his  own  name,  but  in  the  name  of  the  church 
at  Rome,  it  is  evident,  that  at  that  time,  the  supreme 
spiritual  power  at  Rome,  was  in  the  Roman  church ; 
that  is,  in  the  body  of  believers  in  that  city. 

The  church  at  Rome,  however,  was  organized  as 
other  apostolic  churches,  with  bishops,  or  elders,  and 
deacons.  First,  there  is  no  good  reason,  why  this 
church  should  be  organized  differently,  and  we  know 
that  'other  churches  were  so  constituted.  Phil  i.  1. 
Acts  xx.  1  Tim.  iii.  Secondly ;  we  have  the  tes- 
timony of  Clement  that  this  was  the  case.  "  The 
Apostles  thus  preaching,"  says  he,  "through  countries 
and  cities,  they  appointed  the  first  fruits  of  their  con- 
versions to  be  bishops  and  ministers  (elders  and  dca- 

*  Epis.  Clem. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  279 

cons)  over  such  as  should  afterwards  believe,  having 
first  proved  them  by  the  Spirit."  This  however  was 
done  by  the  vote  of  the  brotherhood.  "  Wherefore," 
continues  Clement,  "  we  cannot  think  that  those  can 
justly  be  thrown  out  of  their  ministry,  who  were  either 
appointed  by  them,  (the  Apostles)  or  afterwards  chosen 
by  other  eminent  men,  with  the  consent  of  the  whole 
church.  But  we  see  how  you  (the  Corinthians)  have 
put  out  some  from  the  ministry,  which  by  their  inno- 
cence they  had  adorned."*  The  original  ecclesiastical 
government  then  at  Rome,  as  in  all  the  early  church- 
es, was  congregational  and  presbyterial ;  that  is,  the 
power  was  in  the  people,  but  was  ordinarily  exer- 
cised by  presbyters  or  elders. 

The  next  form  of  this  government  was  episcopal. 
It  is  evident,  that  between  the  close  of  the  first  cen- 
tury and  the  beginning  of  the  fourth,  most,  if  not  all, 
of  the  early  churches  assumed  the  episcopal  form. 
Some  one  of  the  congregational  presbytery  had  been 
made  permanent  moderator,  or  sole  head  over  the 
rest,  As  proof  of  this,  let  the  following  testimony  of 
Jerome  be  considered :  we  quote  from  Bishop  Hop- 
kins's "  Church  of  Rome  in  her  primitive  purity." 
"  With  the  ancients,"  says  this  learned  father,  "pres- 
byters and  bishops  were  the  same;  but,  by  degrees, 
in  order  that  the  plants  of  dissension  might  be  rooted 
up,  the  care  of  government  was  committed  to  one. 
Therefore,  as  the  presbyters  know  themselves,  by  the 
custom  of  the  church,  to  be  subject  to  him  who  may 
be  set  over  them,  so  should  the  bishops  know,  that 
they  are  superior  to  the  presbyters,  more  by  custom, 
than  by  the  truth  of  our  Lord's  disposition  ;  (magis 
consuetudine  quam  dispositionis  dominica3  veritate) 
and  that  they  ought  to  govern  the  church  in  com- 
mon:" (et  in  commune  debere  ecclesiam  regere.)t 

The  fourth  form  of  the  spiritual  government  at 
Rome,  was  patriarchal.  Constantine,  wishing  to  adapt 
the  ecclesiastical  to  the  civil  polity,  introduced  a  new 
arrangement  in  ecclesiastical  government.  This  gave 
rise  to  the  appointment,  throughout  the  Roman  em- 

*  Epist.  to  Cor.  tPage  305. 


280         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

pire,  of  bishops,  archbishops,  metropolitans,  exarchs, 
and  patriarchs.  Under  this  new  economy,  Antioch, 
Alexandria,  Rome,  and  afterwards  Constantinople, 
became  each  the  seat  of  a  patriarch.  Between  these 
patriarchs,  there  arose  of  course  some  rivalry.  The 
Roman  patriarch,  however,  was  generally  superior, 
chiefly  because  he  lived  at  the  capital  of  the  empire. 
When,  however,  ancient  Byzantium,  under  the  new 
name  of  Constantinople,  became  also  the  seat  of  civil 
authority,  the  two  patriarchates  of  the  two  capitals  of 
the  empire,  soon  overshadowed  those  of  Alexandria 
and  Antioch.  Rome,  then,  had  but  one  rival,  the 
patriarch  of  the  eastern  empire.  As  that  patriarch 
was  powerfully  supported  by  the  eastern  court,  it  was 
far  more  difficult  to  gain  ascendency  over  him,  than  it 
had  been  over  other  rivals.  Power  between  these 
two  ecclesiastical  potentates  was  well  nigh  balanced 
for  several  centuries.  At  length,  however,  in  the 
ninth  century,  a  rupture  took  place  between  them, 
which  divided  Christendom  into  the  eastern  or  Greek, 
and  the  western  or  Latin  church. 

Besides  the  rivalry  here  alluded  to,  the  Roman  pa- 
triarch had  other  obstructions  to  his  absolute  headship 
over  even  the  western  church.  These  obstructions 
were  found  in  the  rights  of  metropolitans,  and  other 
subordinate  presiding  church  officers.  Each  bishop 
and  archbishop  had  his  prerogatives :  each  state 
claimed  for  the  church  established  in  it,  certain  privi- 
leges. All  these  must  be  removed  before  the  Roman 
bishop  could  become  the  absolute  autocrat  of  the 
Latin  church.  "  Their  first  encroachment  of  this 
kind,"  says  Hallam,  "  was  in  the  province  of  lllyri- 
cum,  which  they  annexed  in  a  manner  to  their  own 
patriarchate,  by  not  permitting  any  bishops  to  be  con- 
secrated without  their  consent.  This  was  before  the 
end  of  the  fourth  century.  Their  subsequent  advan- 
ces, however,  were  very  gradual.  About  the  middle 
of  the  sixth  century,  we  find  them  confirming  the 
elections  of  the  archbishops  of  Milan.  They  came  by 
degrees  to  exercise,  though  not  always  successfully, 
and  seldom  without  opposition,  an  appellant  jurisdic- 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  281 

tion  over  the  causes  of  bishops,  deposed  or  censured 
in  provincial  synods.  Valentinian  III.,  influenced  by 
Leo  the  Great,  one  of  the  most  ambitious  of  pontiffs, 
went  a  great  deal  farther,  and  established  almost  an 
absolute  judicial  supremacy  in  the  Holy  See.  <  We 
decree  this,'  says  the  emperor,  <  by  a  perpetual  sanc- 
tion, that  it  is  lawful  for  French  bishops,  as  well  as 
for  those  of  other  provinces,  in  violation  of  an  ancient 
custom,  to  attempt  nothing,  without  the  authority  of 
that  venerable  man,  the  Pope  of  the  eternal  city;  but, 
let  whatever  the  Apostolic  Seat  has  sanctioned,  or 
may  have  sanctioned,  be  to  them  all  for  law/"* 
This  occurred  in  the  year  455 ;  and  although  there 
was  resistance  to  this  imperial  decree,  yet  it  shows 
what  the  designs  both  of  the  Emperor  and  the  Pope 
were. 

Gregory  I.  greatly  increased  the  power  of  the  Ro- 
man See.  "  He  dwelt,"  says  Hallarn,  "  more  than  his 
predecessors,  upon  the  power  of  the  keys,  as  exclu- 
sively, or  at  least  principally,  committed  to  St.  Peter. 
In  a  letter  to  the  Spanish  churches,  he  uses  the  follow- 
ing language — "a  sede  apostolica, quae  omnium  eccle- 
siarum  caput,  est" — "from  the  apostolic  seat,  which  is 
the  head  of  all  the  churches."  This  was  at  the  close 
of  the  fifth  century. 

The  celebrated  edict  of  Phocas,  in  606,  constituting 
the  Roman  bishop  the  head  of  the  church,  is  well 
known.  In  that  decree  it  is  asserted,  that  "  the  name 
of  universal  becomes  only  the  Roman  church,  as  that 
which  is  the  head  of  all  the  churches,  and  is  appro- 
priate to  none  but  the  Roman  pontiff."t 

It  is  strange  to  observe  here,  that  the  very  supre- 
macy which  emperors  and  popes  were  pressing  upon 
metropolitans  and  other  bishops,  those  bishpps  were 
themselves  inviting.  In  a  synod  of  French  and  Ger- 
man bishops  held  at  Frankfort,  in  742,  it  was  decreed, 
that  as  a  token  of  their  subjection  to  the  See  of  Rome, 
all  metropolitans  should  receive  from  the  hands  of  the 
Pope,  the  pallium,  as  a  badge  of  office — "  metropoli- 

*  Middle  Ages,  chap.  vii.  t  Baronius. 

25 


282         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

tanos  pallia  ab  ilia  sede  quaerere,  et  per  omnia  prse- 
cepta  S.  Petri  canonice  sequi." 

It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  this  century,  that  one 
Isidore  Mercator,  or  Peccator,  who  was  either  a  syco- 
phant of  the  Pope,  or  the  rival,  possibly,  of  some 
metropolitan  or  other  church  dignitary,  issued  the 
Decretals  of  the  early  popes  or  bishops  of  Rome. 
These  Decretals  were  a  summary  of  the  pretended 
decrees  which  Anaclet,  Clement,  Euaristus,  and  other 
popes,  to  the  time  of  St.  Sylvester,  had  passed.  They 
were  all  fabrications  of  the  grossest  kind.  In  them, 
however,  the  greatest  possible  amount  of  power  was 
conceded  to  the  popes  of  Rome.  "  Every  bishop  was 
amenable  only  to  the  immediate  tribunal  of  the  Pope. 
Every  accused  person  might  appeal  directly  to  the 
chief  pontiff.  New  sees  were  not  to  be  erected,  nor 
bishops  translated  from  one  see  to  another,  without 
the  sanction  of  the  Pope."  "  They  also  forbid  the 
holding  of  any  council,  even  a  provincial  council, 
without  the  permission  of  the  Pope."*  "  Upon  these 
spurious  decretals,"  says  Hallam,  "was  built  the  great 
fabric  of  papal  supremacy,  over  the  different  national 
churches ;  a  fabric  which  has  stood  after  its  founda- 
tions crumbled  beneath  it."  It  is  evident,  however, 
that  the  churches  of  Europe  must  have  been  previ- 
ously prepared  for  the  yoke,  or  such  gross  fabrications 
never  could  have  been  made  the  means  of  enforcing 
such  bondage. 

But  one  more  step  was  needed  to  complete  the 
spiritual  ascendency  of  the  Roman  hierarch;  he  needed 
agents,  amenable  only  to  himself,  and  who  should  go 
or  come  according  to  his  will.  These  he  found  in 
several  monastic  orders,  whom  he  freed  from  all  sub- 
jection to.  metropolitans  and  bishops,  but  held  in  entire 
subserviency  to  himself  as  sole  head  of  the  church. 
These  were  his  most  faithful  and  devoted  allies;  and 
as  many  of  them  had  great  power  over  the  people, 
and  even  over  kings,  the  authority  of  the  Roman  pre- 
late became  supreme  throughout  Christendom. 

*  Daunou,  27. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  283 

Thus  did  the  little  church  planted  in  apostolic  days 
beside  the  throne  of  the  Cassars,  struggling  itself 
through  centuries  for  a  bare  existence,  watered  by  the 
tears  and  cemented  by  the  blood  of  martyrs — thus  did 
this  little  church,  prostrate  at  first  before  the  imperial 
throne,  climbing  up  afterwards  around  that  throne, 
and  subsequently  occupying  the  seat  of  that  throne, 
thus  did  it  become  mistress  of  Christendom,  and  its 
pastor,  monarch  of  the  world!  How  little  did  the 
first  band  of  Christian  disciples  at  Rome,  meeting,  it 
may  be,  in  a  garret,  or  a  retired  chamber,  how  little 
did  they  anticipate  a  result  like  this !  How  little  did 
they  desire  it!  Their  form  of  government  was  en- 
tirely different.  With  them,  power,  (if  it  deserved  the 
name)  was  in  the  hands  of  the  brotherhood.  The 
church  as  composed  of  individual  members,  was  su- 
preme. Their  discipline  was  exercised  by  faithful 
presbyters;  men  chosen  by  themselves,  and  under 
whose  teachings  and  control,  they  enjoyed  both 
liberty  and  order.  With  them,  there  was  no  pomp, 
no  show.  No  St.  Peter's  excited  the  wonder  of  tra- 
vellers; no  Vatican  received  their  humble  pastors. 
The  crown  was  on  no  head,  the  sword  in  the  hand  of 
none.  Nor  did  they  boast  of  supremacy  over  their 
brethren;  they  were  satisfied  to  be  themselves  Chris- 
tians. Such  was  the  Roman  church  in  her  infancy; 
such  in  her  purest,  and  really  apostolic  days.  With 
this  church,  we  claim  fraternity  ;  and  although  Rome 
to  us  is  no  more  a  veneration,  than  Ephesus  or  An- 
tioch,  or  any  other  of  the  early  churches;  yet,  amid  all 
the  rubbish  of  the  Papacy,  and  the  solemn  mockeries 
of  Antichrist,  yea,  beneath,  it  may  be,  the  very  chair 
of  St.  Peter,  there  is  dust,  forgotten  dust,  that  we 
do  esteem.  It  is  the  dust  of  those  tried  and  worthy 
men,  who  planted  the  Roman  church;  who  were 
living  examples  of  Christian  doctrine  and  practice  in 
that  church;  who  studied  the  Scriptures  daily,  and 
met  each  night  for  prayer;  who  despised  tyranny,  but 
rejoiced  in  the  freedom  of  the  gospel;  who  lived  in 
love  and  fellowship  with  Christ;  such  men,  we  repeat 
it,  we  love;  their  principles  we  love;  their  names  we 


284         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

venerate.  But,  with  Rome  as  she  now  is,  with  Rome 
as  she  has  been  for  more  than  a  thousand  years,  we 
can  have  no  sympathy,  no  fellowship,  no  common  in- 
terest. Our  prayer  is,  that  she  may  be  overthrown, 
and  that  her  arm  of  iron  may  be  removed  from 
oppressed  Christianity. 

We  are  now  to  consider  the  imperial,  or  supreme 
political  power  of  the  Papacy.  This  power  was  the 
result  chiefly  of  the  spiritual  headship  of  the  Papacy 
over  Christendom.  Had  the  popes  been  but  the 
temporal  lords  of  their  own  small  territory,  or  but  the 
metropolitans  of  a  particular  district,  their  authority 
would  have  been  limited.  As  temporal  princes,  they 
could  have  claimed  obedience  only  from  their  own 
subjects;  and  as  the  occupants  of  an  episcopal  see 
their  supervision  could  have  extended  over  none  but 
the  churches  of  their  own  diocese.  But  when  the  Pope 
was  constituted  supreme  pontiff,  especially  when  he 
was  considered  as  the  Vicar  of  Christ  upon  earth,  and 
his  decisions  regarded  as  final  and  infallible,  a  su- 
premacy over  thrones  and  kings  was  the  inevitable 
result.  Politics  and  religion  cannot  be  kept  entirely 
separate.  There  are  many  points  at  which  the  state 
must  touch  the  church,  and  there  are  many  moral 
questions  which  must  relate  to  princes  and  cabinets. 
Even  were  the  church  and  state  entirely  distinct  in 
their  general  administrations,  one  infallible  and  su- 
preme head  of  the  church,  would  be  at  least  liable  to 
interfere  with  the  free  and  regular  exercise  of  the 
civil  government.  In  cases,  however,  where  church 
and  state  are  united,  the  interference  is  inevitable,  and 
must  be  frequent.  Now  in  Europe,  from  the  days  of 
Constantine,  there  was  the  closest  union  between  reli- 
gion and  politics.  Long  before  the  downfall  of  the 
Roman  Empire,  this  system  was  adopted.  And  when 
that  empire  sunk,  and  the  modern  kingdoms  of  Europe 
arose  on  its  ruins,  neither  prince  nor  bishop  thought 
of  a  separation  between  these  two  systems.  A  na- 
tional, or  rather  an  imperial  religion, every  where  ex- 
isted. The  consequence  of  this  was,  that  while  popes 
and  bishops  were  in  a  certain  sense,  held  as  the  sub- 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  285 

jects  of  kings  and  princes,  the  latter  were  also  con- 
sidered spiritually  as  the  subjects  of  the  former.  Pos- 
sibly, some  might  imagine,  that  such  mutual  sub- 
jection might  be  maintained  without  detriment  to  the 
peace  of  society.  Such,  however,  the  history  of  Eu- 
rope has  proved,  is  not  likely  to  be  the  case.  Espe- 
cially is  it  not  likely  to  succeed  on  such  a  magnificent 
scale,  as  was  attempted  in  Catholic  Europe.  There 
are  too  many  national  interests  and  prejudices,  too 
many  kings  and  bishops,  too  many  passions  and  mo- 
tives to  ambition,  for  a  scheme  like  this  to  exist  with- 
out agitation,  without  tyranny  and  rebellion.  Hence, 
the  history  of  Europe  throughout  the  papal  supre- 
macy, exhibits  not  the  smoothness  of  a  lake  unruffled 
by  the  passing  breeze,  but  the  turbidness  of  a  sea, 
dashed  and  tossed  by  conflicting  winds.  Papal  unity 
in  these  times  was  but  one  perpetual  struggle;  and 
papal  harmony,  but  the  symphony  of  uninterrupted 
discords.  The  result,  however,  of  such  struggles  and 
agitations,  at  least  for  centuries,  was  the  gradual  but 
complete  ascendency  of  papal  power  over  the  sove- 
reigns of  Europe. 

Nor  was  the  high  political  power  of  the  Pope,  the 
result  alone  of  his  pontifical  station;  that  station  itself 
was  made  the  abode  of  certain  divine  attributes.  The 
popular  idea  was,  that  God  and  St.  Peter  were  eccle- 
siastically one.  The  Pope,  personally,  might  be  but  a 
man;  he  might  have  faults,  yea  great  faults;  yet,  as 
Pope,  he  was  God's  representative,  Christ's  vicar; 
he  could  not  err;  and  his  will  was  supreme  in 
heaven,  as  well  as  on  earth.  His  anathema  was  held 
in  the  utmost  dread;  and  his  interdict  subjected  even 
the  greatest  princes  to  the  deepest  humiliations.  At 
his  command  all  the  services  of  religion  were  arrested; 
marriages,  masses,  and  even  burials  were  prevented. 
Subjects  were  freed  from  their  allegiance  to  their  law- 
ful sovereigns,  and  even  the  assassination  of  the  prince 
was  considered  a  virtue. 

Among  the  proximate  causes  which  advanced  the 
power  of  the  Pope,  Daunou,  mentions  the  follow- 
ing.  "The  political  revolutions  which  followed  the 

25* 


286         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

dethronement  of  Augustulus,  the  accession  of  Pepin  to 
the  throne  of  France,  and  of  Charlemagne  to  the 
Empire;  the  weakness  of  Louis-le  Debonnaire,  the 
division  of  his  states  among  his  children,  the  impru- 
dence of  some  of  the  kings  who  invoked  the  thunders 
of  the  Holy  See  against  each  other ;  the  fabrication  of 
the  Decretals,  the  propagation  of  a  canonical  jurispru- 
dence, quite  contrary  to  the  ancient  laws  of  the  church; 
the  rivalries  between  the  two  houses  of  Germany,  the 
projects  of  independence  conceived  by  several  of  the 
Italian  cities,  the  crusades,  the  inquisition,  and  the 
innumerable  multitude  of  monastic  establishments; 
these,"  says  this  Catholic  authority,  "are  the  causes 
which  brought  on,  established,  aggrandized,  and  so 
long  sustained  the  temporal  power  of  the  Popes,  and 
facilitated  the  abuse  of  their  spiritual  functions.7'* 
Thus  did  the  state  of  things  both  without  and  within 
the  church,  the  agitations  of  the  political  system, 
and  the  doctrines  of  the  religious,  unite  in  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  Papal  See  above  the  capitals  of  Europe. 
Nor  should  we  omit  in  this  catalogue  of  causes,  the 
ambition  of  the  Roman  Pontiffs  themselves.  Gre- 
gory VII.,  Innocent  III.,  Julius  II.,  and  Boniface  VIII., 
were  as  ambitious  of  power,  as  an  Alexander,  a  Caesar, 
or  a  Napoleon.  Their  desire  was,  not  simply  supre- 
macy in  the  church,  or  even  in  Europe,  but  supre- 
macy throughout  the  world. 

The  gradual  development  of  this  wonderful  system 
of  power,  will  now  be  considered.  From  the  days  of 
Constantine,  Christian  bishops,  and  especially  Roman 
bishops,  exerted  more  or  less  influence  upon  the  policy 
of  the  country.  "Even  under  the  Roman  Emperors," 
says  Hallam,"they  had  found  their  way  into  palaces; 
they  were  sometimes  ministers,  more  often  secret 
counsellors,  always  necessary  but  formidable  allies, 
whose  support  was  to  be  conciliated,  and  interference 
respected."! 

After  the  fall  of  the  throne  of  the  Caesars,  the  civil 
obedience  of  the  bishop  of  Rome  became,  after  a 

*  Court  of  Rome,  253.  t  Middle  Ages,  chap.  vii. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  287 

short  interval,  subject  to  the  eastern  Emperor,  and  to 
the  Exarch  of  Ravenna,  as  his  lieutenant.  The  ven- 
eration, however,  of  the  new  Gothic  kingdoms  for 
their  spiritual  head,  and  the  ancient  habit  of  the  west 
in  rallying  around  a  western  political  centre,  together 
with  some  difference  of  doctrine  between  Rome  and 
Constantinople,  well  nigh  counterbalanced  the  author- 
ity of  the  successors  of  Constantine ;  and  while  they 
exalted  the  Pope,  made  his  subjection  to  a  distant 
sovereign,  rather  tacit,  than  efficient.  Hence,  the 
readiness  of  the  Papal  See  to  constitute  a  western 
emperor  in  the  person  of  Charlemagne ;  and  hence 
the  haughty  language  it  sometimes  employed  toward 
the  eastern  court.  The  following  is  an  extract  of  a 
letter  to  Leo  III.,  from  Gregory  II.,  whom  Gibbon 
styles,  "the  founder  of  the  papal  monarchy,"  and 
whom  also  Catholic  writers  are  in  the  habit  of  repre- 
senting as  a  model  of  patience  and  loyalty.  "You 
now  accuse,"  says  Gregory,  "the  Catholics  of  idola- 
try ;  and  by  the  accusation  you  betray  your  own  im- 
piety and  ignorance.  To  this  ignorance  we  are  com- 
pelled to  adopt  the  grossness  of  our  style  and  argu- 
ments. The  first  elements  of  holy  letters  are  sufficient 
for  your  confusion ;  and  were  you  to  enter  a  gram- 
mar school,  and  avow  yourself  the  enemy  of  our 
worship,  the  simple  and  pious  children  would  be 
provoked  to  cast  their  hornbooks  at  your  head.  You 
assault  us,  0  tyrant,  with  a  carnal  and  military  hand; 
unarmed  and  naked,  we  can  only  implore  Christ,  the 
Prince  of  the  heavenly  host,  that  he  will  send  unto 
you  a  devil,  for  the  destruction  of  your  body  and  the 
salvation  of  your  soul.  Abandon  your  rash  and  fatal 
enterprise,  reflect,  tremble,  repent.  If  you  persist, 
we  are  innocent  of  the  blood  that  will  be  spilt  in  the 
contest;  may  it  fall  on  your  own  head."*  Such  was 
the  language  of  Gregory  II.  to  the  greatest  emperor 
of  Christendom,  and  also  his  own  lawful  sovereign. 
Gregory  III.  his  immediate  successor,  went  still  fur- 
ther, and  excommunicated  the  whole  sect  of  the  Icon- 
oclasts, and  Leo  among  them.t 

*  Rome,  xlix.  f  Daunou,  p.  13. 


2S8  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

The  authority  of  the  popes  over  the  new  king- 
doms was  of  a  more  decisive  character.  The  first 
remarkable  interference  of  this  authority  in  political 
matters  occurred  in  France.  Pepin,  the  son  of  the 
celebrated  Charles  Martel,  was  exercising  the  author- 
ity, but  durst  not  usurp  the  name,  of  king.  This 
name  belonged  to  Childeric,  a  regular  descendant 
from  Clovis,  who  had  established  the  French  mon- 
archy. The  case  was  referred  to  Pope  Zacharias. 
He  decided  that  Childeric,  the  lawful  sovereign,  should 
be  shorn  and  placed  in  a  convent;  and  that  Pepin 
should  assume  both  the  name  and  the  insignia  of 
royalty.  True,  the  decision  in  this  case  was  but 
that  of  a  supreme  judge,  giving  his  opinion  in  a  ques- 
tion of  doubt  and  perplexity.  But  what  right  had  a 
Christian  pastor  to  decide  who  should  reign  over  a 
political  kingdom?  If  the  reference  was  a  matter  of 
policy  on  the  part  of  Pepin,  and  of  conscience  on  the 
part  of  the  French,  it  was  also  one  of  power  in  the 
hands  of  the  Pope.  His  sentence  was  authoritative, 
and  it  was  final.  Hence  Eginhard,  the  biographer  of 
Charlemagne,  says  that  Pepin  was  made  king — "jussu 
et  auctoritate  Pontificis  Romani" — "by  the  command 
and  authority  of  the  Roman  Pontifex."  This  occurred 
about  the  middle  of  the  eighth  century. 

Fifty  years  after  the  important  decision  above  allu- 
ded to,  that  is,  on  Christmas  day,  A.  D.  SOO,  Pope  Leo 
III.  crowned  Charlemagne,  the  son  of  Pepin,  Emperor 
of  the  West.  Daunou  affirms  that  this  was  done,  not 
by  the  Pope,  alone,  but  by  "an  assembly  of  the  clergy, 
of  the  nobility,  and  of  the  people  of  Rome."*  Anas- 
tasius,  however,  affirms,  that  Charles  was  made  em- 
peror—  "Dei  nutu  alque  B.  Petri  clavigeri  regni 
coelorum" — "  by  the  will  of  God  and  of  the  blessed 
Peter,  the  keys-bearer  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 
"  On  Christmas  day,"  says  Grimshaw,  "  when  the 
monarch  was  attending  mass  in  St.  Peter's  church, 
at  Rome,  the  supreme  Pontiff  advanced,  and  placed 
upon  his  head  an  imperial  crown ;  and  having  con- 

*  Court  of  Rome,  24. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  289 

ducted  him  to  an  imperial  throne,  declared,  that  he 
should  thenceforth  be  styled  Emperor  and  Augus- 
tus."* 

As  the  chair  of  St.  Peter  had  virtually  made  both 
a  king  for  France,  and  an  emperor  for  the  west,  the 
subsequent  subjection  of  these  thrones  to  the  dicta- 
tion of  the  Pope,  would  seem  to  be  a  matter  of  course. 
The  son  and  successor  of  the  late  emperor,  was  the 
first  to  experience  evils  of  this  kind.  Louis  L,  sur- 
named  Le  Debonnaire,  divided  his  kingdom  among 
his  three  sons,  Lothaire,  Pepin,  and  Louis.  The  birth 
of  a  fourth  son,  by  a  second  marriage,  Charles  the 
Bald,  was  the  means  of  associating  the  three  first 
against  their  father  and  the  last.  In  these  royal  con- 
troversies, not  only  the  prelates  of  France,  but  the 
Pope'also  took  a  prominent  part.  Gregory  IV.  allied 
himself  to  the  three  rebellious  sons.  He  entered 
France  in  person,  and  without  the  permission  of 
Louis.  He  caused  the  army  of  Louis  to  desert  him, 
and  became  thus  the  means  and  instigation  of  the 
dethronement  of  the  son  of  Charlemagne.  It  was 
at  this  time,  that  in  a  letter  to  the  bishops,  he  uses  the 
following  insolent  language:  —  "Know  ye  that  my 
chair  is  above  the  throne  of  Louis."  "  It  would  be 
painful"  says  Daunou,  "  to  trace  the  details  of  the 
well  known  humiliations  of  Louis  I.  How  Hebo,  his 
creature,  and  other  bishops  condemned  him  to  a  public 
penance  ;  how  upon  his  knees  before  these  prelates 
he  recited  publicly  a  confession  of  his  crimes,  among 
which  he  enumerates  the  march  of  his  troops  during 
the  carnival,  and  the  convocation  of  a  parliament  on 
holy  Thursday;  how,  dragged  from  cloister  to  clois- 
ter, to  Compeigne,  to  Soissons,  to  Aix-la-Chapelle,  to 
Paris,  to  St.  Denis,  he  seemed  destined  there  to  termi- 
nate his  days."  Such  was  the  son  of  Charlemagne 
in  the  hands  of  the  ecclesiastics,  who  had  aspired  to 
control  the  throne  of  France  and  of  the  empire. 

Louis  II.  was  equally  subservient  to  the  power  of 
the  Pope.  "He  went  on  foot  before  the  pontiff,  served 

*  Hist.  France,  31. 


290         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

him  as  an  esquire,  and  led  his  horse  by  the  bridle!" 
Charles  the  Bald,  in  a  submissive  letter  to  the  clergy, 
affirmed,  that  "  the  bishops  are  the  throne  where  God 
sits  to  render  his  decrees!"  The  power  of  the  Pope, 
however,  was  far  superior  at  this  time  to  that  of  either 
bishops  or  kings.  An  experiment  was  made  of  that 
power.  Lothaire,  king  of  Lorraine,  and  great  grand- 
son of  Charlemagne,  had  repudiated  his  wife,  Theut- 
berge.  This  repudiation  had  occurred  after  a  lawful 
examination  before  a  council  of  bishops.  The  Pope, 
however,  Nicholas  I.,  thought  proper  to  annul  the 
whole  proceedings.  He  ordered  the  king  to  take  back 
the  wife  from  whom  he  was  lawfully  divorced; 
threatened  him  with  excommunication  if  he  refused ; 
sent  a  legate  to  compel  compliance  with  his  mandate; 
and  even  proceeded  so  far  as  to  depose  two  of  the 
bishops,  who  sat  in  one  of  the  councils  by  which  the 
divorce  was  granted.  Lothaire  was  forced  into  obe- 
dience, although  ably  defended  by  his  brother,  the 
Emperor  Louis.  Thus  did  the  arbitrary  will  of  the 
new  sovereign  of  the  Seven  Hills,  control  at  once, 
emperors  and  kings,  councils  and  bishops!  This 
occurred  about  the  year  863. 

Under  the  Pontificate  of  John  VIII.,  Charles  the 
Bald  was  made  emperor,  when  his  brother,  the  king 
of  Germany  had  superior  claims  to  that  office.  The 
language  used  by  the  pontiff  on  the  occasion,  is  signi- 
ficant: "We  have  judged  him  worthy  of  the  imperial 
sceptre — we  have  elevated  him  to  the  dignity  and 
power  of  the  empire — we  have  decorated  him  with 
the  title  of  Augustus."*  In  a  council  at  Troyes,  in 
France,  over  which  this  same  pope  presided,  besides 
various  excommunications  against  persons  of  distinc- 
tion, it  was  decreed,  "  that  bishops  shall  be  treated 
with  respect  by  the  secular  powers,  and  that  none 
shall  be  so  bold  as  to  sit  in  their  presence,  unless  they 
shall  be  directed  to  do  so." 

Such  were  the  perpetual  collisions  between  the 
civil  and  ecclesiastical  powers  in  France,  during  the 

*  Court  of  Rome,  47. 


THE  ANTICHRIST.  291 

Carlovingian  race  of  kings.  The  officers  of  the  church, 
instead  of  being  subject  to  civil  rulers,  arrogated  to 
themselves  a  vigilant  supervision  over  those  rulers. 
Crowns  were  conferred  by  popes ;  and  thrones  made 
vacant  by  their  simple  volition.  No  doubt,  the  con- 
tests between  the  descendants  of  Charlemagne  had  a 
powerful  tendency  to  promote  the  frequent  exercise 
and  gradual  ascendency  of  ecclesiastical  power.  There 
were  many  other  causes,  however,  conspiring  to  the 
same  result.  The  general  ignorance  that  prevailed, 
the  gross  superstitions  that  were  practised,  the  erro- 
neous notions  entertained  of  the  office  and  preroga- 
tives of  church-officers — especially  the  almost  divine 
homage  paid  to  the  Pope — all  these  tended  to  lower 
the  civil  and  exalt  the  ecclesiastical  authority.  The 
Papacy  had  not  as  yet,  however,  reached  its  full 
grown  stature.  Other  centuries  were  required  for  this. 
Before  we  trace  its  fuller  developments,  however, 
through  these  centuries,  it  will  be  proper  to  notice  an 
event  which  powerfully  accelerated  its  advancement. 
This  event  was  the  fabrication  of  two  documents,  the 
objects  of  which  were  to  elevate  the  power  of  the 
Pope  to  the  highest  possible  pitch.  The  Decretals  and 
the  Donation  of  Constantine  were  both  invented,  it  is 
thought,  in  the  eighth  century.  The  former,  which 
we  have  already  noticed,  was  designed  to  establish 
the  absolute  supremacy  of  the  Pope  in  the  church, 
the  latter  to  give  him  supreme  control  in  the  state. 
The  following  is  a  quotation  from  the  latter  docu- 
ment. It  employs  the  language  of  Constantine  the 
Great.  "We  ascribe  to  the  See  of  St.  Peter,  all  dig- 
nity— all  power — all  imperial  power.  Besides,  we 
give"' to  Sylvester  and  his  successors  our  palace  of 
Lateran — we  give  him  our  crown,  our  mitre,  our 
diadem,  and  all  our  imperial  vestments — we  remit  to 
him  the  imperial  dignity.  We  give,  as  a  pure  gift,  to 
the  holy  pontiff,  the  city  of  Rome,  and  all  the  western 
cities  of  Italy,  as  well  as  the  western  cities  of  other 
countries.  In  order  to  give  place  to  him,  we  yield 
our  dominion  over  all  these  provinces,  by  removing 
the  seat  of  our  empire  to  Byzantium,  considering  that 


292         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

it  is  not  right  that  a  terrestrial  emperor  should  pre- 
sume the  least  power,  where  God  has  established  the 
head  of  religion."*  This  document  is  admitted,  by  all 
Catholic  writers  at  the  present  time,  to  be  a  mere 
forgery;  and  yet,  so  ignorant  were  men  in  the  middle 
ages,  and  so  blinded  by  papal  authority,  that  it  was 
universally  received  as  authentic.  "This  donation," 
says  Daunou,  "obtained  belief  so  long,  that  in  1478, 
Christians  were  burnt  at  Strasburg  for  having  dared 
to  doubt  its  authenticity  !"  It  is  easy  to  see  what  an 
exaltation  of  papal  power,  what  a  stretch  of  papal 
ambition,  would  naturally  arise  from  a  popular  and 
general  belief  like  this. 

In  the  tenth  century,  we  have  another  most  painful 
instance  of  the  deep  humiliations  to  which  the  throne 
of  France  was  again  subjected  by  the  Pope  of  Rome. 
Hugh  Capet  had  supplanted  the  Carlovingian  line  of 
kings,  and  established  the  Caputian — that  which  con- 
tinues to  the  present  time.  His  son  and  successor, 
Robert,  had  married  Bertha,  his  cousin  of  the  fourth 
degree,  to  whose  son  also,  by  a  previous  husband,  he 
had  stood  as  god-father.  The  validity  of  this  mar- 
riage, although  authorized  by  seven  bishops,  was 
denied  by  the  Pope.  As  the  king  was  unwilling  to 
put  away  his  wife,  he  incurred  from  the  holy  see  the 
sentence  of  excommunication,  and  his  kingdom  was 
laid  under  an  interdict.  "  It  was  the  first  time,"  says 
Daunou,  "that  the  church  of  France  saw  herself  under 
an  interdict,  or  received  the  injunction  to  suspend  the 
celebration  of  divine  offices — the  administration  of  the 
sacraments  to  adults — the  religious  burial  of  the  dead." 
Such  was  the  effect  of  this  sentence  of  excommunica- 
tion, that  the  king  of  France  was  deserted  by  all  his 
attendants  and  domestics,  save  two  servants,  who  are 
said,  on  the  authority  of  a  cardinal,t  to  have  cast  to 
the  dogs  what  provisions  were  left  from  the  royal 
table,  and  also  to  have  purified  by  fire  every  vessel 
the  excommunicated  monarch  touched  !  Humbled  by 
such  rigorous  treatment,  Robert  was  compelled   to 

*  Court  of  Rome.  4.  t  Peter  Damidre. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  293 

yield,  and  Gregory  V.  had  the  satisfaction  to  see 
both  bishops  and  king  subservient  to  his  pontifical 
mandate. 

Thus  were  matters  preparing  for  a  universal  Theo- 
cracy. The  full  conception  of  that  theocracy,  and  its 
partial  completion,  was  the  work  of  the  celebrated 
Hildebrand.  "The  idea,"  says  Daunou,  "of  a  uni- 
versal theocracy,  had  taken  in  his  ardent  and  severe 
mind,  the  character  of  a  passion.  His  whole  life  was 
consecrated  to  this  enterprise."* 

To  accomplish  this  vast  scheme,  Hildebrand  at- 
tempted, first,  to  make  the  church  independent  of  the 
state,  and  next  to  extend  the  power  of  the  church 
gradually,  but  universally  over  the  state.  To  render 
the  church  less  dependent  upon  civil  authority,  he  vir- 
tually abolished  the  right  of  lay-investiture,  required 
every  bishop  to  come  to  Rome  for  consecration,  and 
established  a  new  mode  of  electing  the  Pope.  The 
power  of  nominating  a  successor  in  the  chair  of  St. 
Peter  was  at  this  time  in  the  emperors  of  Germany. 
According  to  the  decree  however,  of  Nicholas  II.,  of 
which  Hildebrand  was  the  real  author,  "  the  cardinal 
bishops  were  to  choose  the  supreme  Pontiff,  with  the 
concurrence,  first  of  the  cardinal  priests  and  deacons, 
and  afterward  of  the  (Roman)  laity.  Thus  elected, 
the  new  Pope  was  to  be  presented  to  Henry,  and  to 
such  of  his  successors,  as  should  personally  obtain 
that  privilege."!  To  render  his  authority  yet  more 
efficient,  Gregory  had  a  special  legate  or  represen- 
tative, clothed  with  extraordinary  powers,  in  each 
country  of  Europe.  These  legates  collected  taxes, 
intimidated  bishops,  and  kept  even  kings  in  awe. 
They  were  ready  at  any  moment,  either  to  report 
misconduct  to  Rome,  or  to  fulminate  from  their  own 
seats,  in  the  name  of  the  Pope,  the  anathemas  of  the 
Holy  See. 

*  Court  of  Rome,  77. 

t  Hallam. — Under  Alexander  III.,  the  laity  were  excluded,  and  the 
consent  of  the  sovereign  not  required  in  the  election  of  a  Pope.  Two 
thirds  of  the  college  of  cardinals  decided  the  choice.  This  is  the  pre- 
sent mode  of  electing  the  Pope. 

26 


294         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

There  are  twenty-seven  maxims,  ascribed  to  Gre- 
gory VII.,  from  which  the  character  of  his  administra- 
tion may  fairly  be  inferred.  The  following  are  a  few 
of  them : — "That  the  Pope  has  the  right  to  depose  all 
princes,  to  dispose*of  all  crowns,  to  reform  all  laws. 
That  he  can  never  err,  that  he  alone  can  nominate 
bishops,  convoke  councils,  preside  at  them,  dissolve 
them :  that  princes  must  kiss  his  feet,  that  by  him  sub- 
jects are  absolved  from  their  oath  of  allegiance ;  in  a 
word,  that  there  is  but  one  name  or  power  in  the  world, 
viz.,  the  Pope." 

Nor  did  Gregory  simply  write  maxims.  His  acts 
corresponded  with  his  creed.  "It  would  be  neces- 
sary," says  Daunou,  "to  enumerate  all  the  princes 
who  reigned  during  the  time  of  this  Pope,  in  order  to 
furnish  the  list  of  those,  who  were  smitten,  or  menaced 
by  him  with  excommunication.  Sardinia  and  Dal- 
matia,  he  considered  only  as  fiefs,  dependent  on  the 
tiara.  To  Demetrius  of  Russia,  he  wrote:  "We  have 
given  your  crown  to  your  son."  Nicephorus  Botinia- 
tes,  the  Greek  emperor,  he  commanded  to  abdicate 
his  throne.  Boleslas,  king  of  Poland,  he  declared 
fallen,  adding  that  Poland  should  no  longer  be  a 
kingdom.  Solomon,  king  of  Hungary,  he  bid  go  to 
the  Hungarian  old  men  and  learn,  that  their  country 
belonged  to  the  Roman  Church.  To  the  Spanish 
princes  he  wrote,  that  St.  Peter  was  their  lord  para- 
mount, having  the  right  to  the  revenues  of  all  their 
little  states.  Robert  Guiscard  he  punished  by  anathe- 
mas. From  the  Duke  of  Bohemia,  he  exacted  the 
tribute  of  a  hundred  marks  of  silver.  Philip  I.  of 
France  he  denounced  as  a  tyrant,  plunged  in  crime 
and  infamy;  and  upon  William  the  Conqueror,  he 
enjoined  it  as  a  duty,  to  render  homage  for  his  king- 
dom, to  the  Apostolic  See.  The  greatest  trophy, 
however,  of  the  ambition  of  Gregory,  was  the  Em- 
peror Henry  IV.  Contrary  to  the  new  doctrines  of 
Papacy,  Henry  had  made  some  investitures;  this  was 
a  capital  offence.  Gregory  despatches  two  legates 
to  Germany,  to  summon  the  emperor  to  appear  at 
Rome,  to  answer  in  person  to  the  Pope,  for  the 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  295 

crimes  alleged  against  him.  The  emperor  refused. 
This  refusal  led  to  a  rupture  between  the  two  poten- 
tates, in  which  Henry  was  excommunicated  by  the 
Pope  in  the  following  words: — "  On  the  part  of  God 
Omnipotent,  and  by  my  plenary  authority,  I  forbid 
Henry,  the  son  of  Henry,  to  govern  the  Teutonic 
kingdom,  and  Italy.  I  absolve  all  Christians  from 
the  oaths  which  they  have  made  to  him,  or  which 
they  shall  make  to  him.  It  is  forbidden  to  every 
person  to  render  him  any  service  as  to  a  king." 
The  humiliations  of  Henry,  consequent  upon  this 
sentence  of  excommunication,  are  thus  described  by 
Hallam.  "  Gregory  was  at  Canossa,  a  fortress  near 
Reggio,  belonging  to  his  faithful  adherent,  the  Count- 
ess Matilda.  It  was  in  a  winter  of  unusual  seve- 
rity. The  emperor  was  admitted,  without  his  guards, 
into  an  outer  court  of  the  castle,  and  three  suc- 
cessive days  remained  from  morning  till  evening, 
in  a  woollen  shirt,  and  with  naked  feet,  while  Gre- 
gory, shut  up  with  the  countess,  refused  to  admit  him 
to  his  presence.  On  the  fourth  day  he  obtained  absolu- 
tion, but  only  upon  condition  of  appearing  on  a  cer- 
tain day,  to  learn  the  Pope's  decision,  whether  or  no 
he  should  be  restored  to  his  kingdom,  until  which  time 
he  promised  not  to  assume  the  ensigns  of  royalty."* 

Such  was  the  height  of  power,  to  which  the  Papal 
See  had  advanced,  towards  the  close  of  the  eleventh 
century.  Gregory  VII.  however,  only  drew  the  out- 
lines of  a  dominion,  which  his  successors,  and  especi- 
ally Innocent  III.,  were  to  establish  and  complete. 
We  have  already  noticed  how  the  Donation  of  Con- 
stantine  and  the  Decretals  of  Isidore  tended  to  augment 
papal  power.  We  must  now  notice  another  instru- 
ment of  the  same  kind.  This  instrument  is  "the 
Digest  of  Gratian."  This  Digest  consists  of  a  com- 
pilation of  various  canons  for  the  regulation  of  eccle- 
siastical polity.  It  was  divided  into  three  parts,  the 
first  treating  of  ecclesiastical  persons,  the  second  of 
judgments,  and  the  third  of  sacred  things.  Its  popu- 
larity and  influence  were  wonderful.     "It  was  ex- 

*  Middle  Affcs. 


296         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

plained,"  says  Daimou,  "in  the  schools,  cited  in  the 
tribunals,  and  invoked  in  treaties.  It  had  almost  be- 
come the  public  law  of  Europe,  when  the  return  of 
light  dissipated,  by  slow  degrees,  the  gross  imposture." 
The  character  and  design  of  this  celebrated  Digest  may 
be  learned  from  the  following.  "  By  it,"  continues 
the  same  author,  "the  clergy  were  held  not  to  be 
amenable  to  answer  in  the  secular  tribunals:  the  civil 
powers  were  subjected  to  ecclesiastical  supremacy : 
the  state  of  persons,  and  the  acts  which  determine  it, 
were  regulated,  validated,  or  annulled,  by  the  canons 
and  the  clergy ;  the  papal  power  was  enfranchised 
from  all  restrictions;  the  sanction  of  all  laws  of  the 
church  was  ascribed  to  the  Holy  See,  that  See  itself 
being  independent  of  the  laws  published  and  confirmed 
by  itself."  Such  was  the  jurisprudence,  by  which  papal 
authority  was  carried  to  its  summit,  throughout  Eu- 
rope, a  jurisprudence,  whose  origin  was  fraud,  whose 
popularity  was  based  upon  ignorance  and  supersti- 
tion, by  which  all  civil  rights  were  trampled  in  the 
dust;  and  whose  sole  object  was,  the  independent 
establishment  of  one  vast  papal  monarchy.  This 
new  system  of  law  was  first  published  by  a  Benedict- 
ine monk,  in  the  year  1152.  Pope  Eugene  III.  gave 
it  at  once  his  pontifical  sanction,  and  thus  constituted 
it  the  law  of  the  church  ;  and  virtually  the  law  of 
Europe. 

We  are  now  about  to  stand  upon  the  summit  of 
papal  ascendency.  For  nearly  nine  hundred  years, 
that  is,  from  Constantine  the  Great,  to  Pope  Innocent 
III.,  the  bishop  of  Rome  had  regularly  been  rising  in 
influence  and  power.  For  about  six  hundred  years, 
that  is,  from  the  grant  of  Pepin  to  the  same  pontificate, 
had  this  bishop  not  only  been  a  temporal  prince,  but 
had  been  gradually  establishing  his  authority  over  the 
thrones  and  crowns  of  all  other  temporal  princes.  At 
that  period,  when  other  kingdoms  have  usually  begun 
to  wane,  and  to  feel  the  decrepitude  of  age,  the  papal 
power  was  only  in  its  strength,  exhibiting  a  health- 
fulness  which  indicated  the  absence  of  decay,  and 
wielding  an  influence  at  once  absolute  and  formidable 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  297 

to  the  kings  of  the  earth.  "  The  noonday  of  papal 
dominion,"  says  Hallam,  "extends  from  the  pontificate 
of  Innocent  III.  inclusively,  to  that  of  Boniface  VIII.; 
or  in  other  words,  through  the  thirteenth  century. 
Rome  inspired  during  this  age  all  the  terror  of  her 
ancient  name.  She  was  once  more  the  mistress  of 
the  world,  and  kings  were  her  vassals." 

The  empire  of  Innocent  III.  and  of  the  popes  of  the 
thirteenth  century,  was  as  great,  if  not  greater,  than 
that  of  the  old  Romans  under  Trajan  and  Adrian. 
By  the  conquest  of  Constantinople,  the  east  had  been 
brought  into  subjection  to  the  Pope.  Nations  farther 
north  than  ever  acknowledged  an  emperor  or  a  con- 
sul, bowed  to  the  chair  of  St.  Peter;  while  westward, 
the  broad  Atlantic  only  was  the  boundary  of  the 
Pope's  dominion.  Africa  was  in  possession  of  the 
infidels,  but  even  here,  the  crusaders  took  several  of 
their  strong  holds. 

But  the  dominion  of  the  popes  was  as  powerful  as 
it  was  extensive.  Innocent  established  himself  in 
Italy  more  firmly  than  his  predecessors.  "  He  abol- 
ished the  consulate,  and  arrogating  to  himself  imperial 
rights,  he  invested  the  prefect  with  his  powers.  He 
installed  public  officers,  and  received  the  oaths  of  the 
senators.  Out  of  Rome  also,  Orbitello,  Viterbia,  Om- 
bria,  Romagna  and  the  Marche  d'Ancona,  acknow- 
ledged Innocent  III.  as  their  sovereign.  Reigning 
thus  from  sea  to  sea,  he  conceived  the  hope  of  con- 
quering Ravenna,  of  getting  fully  the  inheritance  of 
Matilda,  and  of  getting  more  in  subjection  to  him  the 
two  Sicilies."* 

The  authority  of  Innocent,  however,  extended  be- 
yond Italy.  "  In  one  year"  says  Daunou,  "  Innocent 
HI.  gave  three  crowns,  that  of  Waiiachia,  of  Bohemia 
and  of  Arragon.   He  also  conferred  that  of  Armenia." 

The  power  of  this  pontiff,  however,  was  more  felt 
in  abasing  than  in  giving  crowns.  The  three  most 
powerful  sovereigns  during  the  pontificate  of  Innocent, 
were  Otho  IV.  emperor  of  Germany,  Philip  Augustus, 

*  Court  of  Rome,  125. 
26* 


298  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

king  of  France,  and  John,  king  of  England.  Otho 
he  excommunicated,  Philip  he  not  only  excommuni- 
cated, but  laid  his  kingdom  under  an  interdict;  and 
John  he  brought  to  the  deepest  possible  humiliation. 
The  crime  of  John  was  his  opposition  to  an  appoint- 
ment, which  the  Pope  had  made,  of  an  archbishop  of 
Canterbury.  The  pontiff  first  laid  an  interdict  upon 
the  kingdom  of  John ;  he  next  excommunicated  the 
monarch,  delivering  him  over  to  the  wrath  of  God ;  he 
then  deposed  him,  as  no  more  fit  to  occupy  the  throne 
of  England.  And  as  if  this  were  not  enough,  he  even 
ventured  to  cede  to  his  rival  Philip,  the  entire  domi- 
nion of  the  English  monarch. 

The  Pope  however,  had  in  England  one  of  his 
"  legates."  Pandolph  undertook  to  effect  a  reconcilia- 
tion between  the  pontiff'  and  the  king.  He  advised 
John  to  receive  from  the  Pope  as  a  pure  gratuity  and 
in  the  most  humble  manner,  the  kingdom  from  which 
he  had  been  deposed.  The  following  is  the  account 
which  Daunou  gives  of  this  affair.  "John  upon  his 
knees  before  Pandolph,  put  his  hands  between  those 
of  this  priest,  and  pronounced,  in  the  presence  of  the 
bishops  and  lords  of  his  kingdom,  the  following  words : 
'  I,  John,  by  the  grace  of  God,  king  of  England,  and 
lord  of  Ireland,  for  the  expiation  of  my  sins,  of  my 
free  will,  and  with  the  advice  of  my  barons,  give  to 
the  Roman  church,  to  the  Pope  Innocent  and  his  suc- 
cessors, the  kingdom  of  England  and  the  kingdom  of 
Ireland,  with  all  the  rights  attached  to  the  one  and  to 
the  other.  I  will  hold  them  hereafter  of  the  Holy 
See,  of  whom  I  will  be  a  faithful  vassal,  faithful  to 
God  and  to  the  Church  of  Rome,  to  the  sovereign  Pon- 
tiff, my  lord,  and  to  his  successors  lawfully  elected. 
I  bind  myself  to  pay  every  year  a  rent  of  a  thousand 
marks  of  silver  (about  sixty  three  thousand  dollars,) 
that  is  to  say,  seven  hundred  for  England  and  three 
hundred  for  Ireland."*  The  money  was  immediately 
paid.  The  legate  having  kept  the  sceptre  and  crown 
of  the  monarch  five  days,  returned  them  as  a  pure 

*  Court  of  Rome,  123. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  299 

gift.  He  then  left  England,  and  entering  France, 
forbade  Philip  to  wage  war  upon  England,  as  now  a 
fief  of  the  papal  autocrat. 

But  Innocent  went  further.  As  if  the  powers  of 
excommunication  and  interdict,  were  not  adequate  to 
his  purposes,  he  employed  two  other  modes  of  execu- 
ting his  will.  These  were,  crusades  and  the  inquisi- 
tion. The  crusades  had  hitherto  been  employed  only 
against  Mohammedans.  Innocent  turned  them  against 
Christians.  The  Greek  church  was  the  first  to  ex- 
perience the  dreadful  effects  of  this  mode  of  conver- 
sion. Constantinople  was  taken,  its  palace  rifled  of 
its  treasures,  French  emperors  appointed,  while  In- 
nocent congratulated  himself  by  saying — "  God,  wish- 
ing to  console  the  church  by  the  union  of  the  schis- 
matics, has  caused  the  empire  to  pass  from  the  proud, 
superstitious,  and  disobedient  Greeks,  to  the  humble 
and  submissive  Latins." 

The  Albigenses  were  the  next  class  of  Christians 
to  experience  the  vengeance  of  a  crusade.  Innocent 
ravaged  their  country,  transferred  the  territory  of 
Raymond,  their  protector,  to  Monfort,  and  reduced  to 
desolation  and  ruin,  these  once  flourishing  provinces. 
Nor  was  this  all.  Whatever  Christian  prince  now 
began  to  prove  refractory,  was  threatened,  not  simply 
with  excommunication  and  an  interdict,  but  with  a 
crusade.  Thus  did  this  Pope  ingeniously  turn  toward 
the  household  of  faith,  that  tremendous  power,  which 
had  hitherto  been  directed  only  against  the  infidels 
of  Asia. 

But  there  was  another  instrument  wielded,  indeed 
originated,  by  this  sagacious  pontiff — the  Inquisition. 
The  object  of  this  barbarous  tribunal,  was  not  simply 
to  ascertain  heresy,  but  to  eradicate  it  from  the  con- 
science and  heart.  For  accomplishing  this  work,  the 
Apostles  had  depended  upon  truth  accompanied  by 
the  Spirit  of  God.  Not  so  Pope  Innocent  and  his 
illustrious  successors.  They  resorted  to  torture,  and 
to  torture  of  the  most  dreadful  character.  The  sus- 
pected person  was  confined  to  a  most  loathsome 
dungeon,  from  which  the  light  was  excluded.    He 


300         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

was  subjected  to  the  most  rigorous  treatment.  He 
was  frequently  brought  before  his  s~piritual  judges, 
and  every  effort  was  made  to  force  him  to  the  con- 
fession of  his  heresy.  If  obstinate,  he  was  tied,  sus- 
pended by  a  pulley  and  suddenly  dropped  down, 
often  to  the  dislocation  of  his  bones,  or  the  fracture  of 
his  limbs.  He  was  compelled  to  drink  great  quantities 
of  water,  until  unnaturally  distended,  when  an  iron 
bar  was  placed  across  his  stomach  and  pressed  by 
great  weights.  Or,  if  this  kind  of  torture  did  not 
answer,  he  was  gradually  roasted  before  slow  fires. 
These  tortures  were  varied,  according  to  circum- 
stances, and  they  were  also  protracted  more  or  less 
according  to  the  perseverance  or  timidity  of  the  sub- 
ject. In  all  cases  however,  they  were  horrible  and 
excruciating  to  the  last  degree.  Multitudes  perished 
under  them,  and  multitudes  who  endured  them,  were 
only  transferred  from  this  dreadful  court,  to  meet  a 
yet  more  terrible  death. 

Innocent  was  the  author  of  this  institution.  "The 
friars  Raynier,  and  Guy,  and  the  arch-deacon  Peter  of 
Castelnau,  are  the  first  inquisitors,"  says  Daunou, 
"known  in  history.  Innocent  enjoined  it  upon  princes 
and  people  to  obey  them;  upon  princes  to  proceed 
against  the  heretics  denounced  by  these  missionaries; 
upon  the  people  to  arm  themselves  against  princes 
who  were  indocile,  or  had  too  little  zeal."*  The 
first  inquisitorial  commission  was  sent  by  Innocent 
into  Languedoc,  to  extirpate  the  heresy  of  the  Albi- 
genses.  Proving  useful  here,  it  was  subsequently 
introduced  into  all  the  countries  of  Italy,  except 
Naples;  into  the  kingdoms  also  of  Spain  and  Portu- 
gal, and  attempts  were  made  to  erect  it  in  all  the 
other  kingdoms  of  Europe. 

Such  was  the  pontificate  of  Innocent  III.,  the 
haughtiest,  and  probably  the  most  successful  of  the 
popes.  "  A  pope,"  said  he,  "a  vicar  of  Christ,  is  su- 
perior to  man,  if  he  is  inferior  to  God.  He  is  the 
light  of  day;  the  civil  authority  is  but  the  fading  star 
of  night." 

*  Court  of  Rome,  130. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  301 

We  cannot  here  pursue  a  minute  history  of  the 
popes,  or  point  out  the  almost  innumerable  instances 
in  which  they  domineered  over  the  princes  of  the 
earth.  We  refer  the  reader  on  this  subject  to  the 
standard  histories  on  modern  Europe,  and  to  authors 
who  have  made  it  their  business  to  delineate  the 
usurpations  and  blasphemies  of  this  proud  and  insa- 
tiable power.  Let  us,  however,  notice  some  of  the 
doctrines  taught  by  those  famous  instruments  called 
papal  bulls. 

In  a  bull  of  Boniface  VIII.,  against  Philip  IV.,  is 
the  following  language.  "God  has  established  me 
over  the  empires  to  pluck  up,  to  destroy,  to  ruin,  to 
dissipate,  to  edify,  to  plant."  In  another,  called 
Unam  Sanctam,  Boniface  thus  expresses  himself: 
"The  temporal  sword  ought  to  be  employed  by  kings 
and  warriors  for  the  church,  according  to  the  order 
and  permission  of  the  Pope.  The  temporal  power  is 
subjected  to  the  spiritual  power,  which  institutes  it, 
and  judges  it,  and  which  God  alone  can  judge.  To 
resist  the  spiritual  power,  then,  is  to  resist  God,  unless 
we  admit  the  two  principles  of  the  Manicheans."* 
Pope  Pius  V.,  in  the  bull  in  which  he  excommuni- 
cated Queen  Elizabeth,  expresses  himself  thus :  "  He 
that  reigneth  on  high  hath  constituted  one  (the  Pope) 
prince  over  all  nations,  and  all  kingdoms,  that  he 
might  pluck  up,  destroy,  dissipate,  ruinate,  plant,  and 
build. "t  Sixtus  V.  also,  in  the  bull  in  which  he  ex- 
communicated the  King  of  Navarre,  and  the  Prince  of 
Conde,  asserts,  that  "the  authority  given  to  St.  Peter 
and  his  successors,  excels  all  the  powers  of  earthly 
kings  and  princes."J 

Such  have  been  the  gradual  development,  and  the 
ultimate  height,  of  the  papal  empire.  Presiding  at 
first,  but  as  a  Christian  pastor,  over  a  small  congrega- 
tion, the  Roman  bishop  rose  by  degrees,  and  under  a 
great  change  of  circumstances,  became  the  supreme 
political,  as  well  as  the  supreme  spiritual,  head  of 
Christendom.     Indeed,  much  more  than  this  is  true; 

*  Court  of  Rome,  149.  t  Barrow,  19.  t  Ibid.  18. 


302  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

as  vicar  of  Christ,  as  the  sole  and  supreme  representa- 
tive of  the  Eternal,  the  Pope  has  arrogated  to  himself 
honours  and  prerogatives  not  less  than  divine.  Were 
this  system  carried  out,  the  world  would  be  subject  to 
one  man,  and  that  one  man  would  become  the  uni- 
versal object,  not  only  of  civil  and  ecclesiastical,  but 
also  of  religious  homage.  Every  throne  on  earth 
would  be  extinguished  but  that  of  the  Pope ;  every 
capital  would  be  destroyed  but  that  of  the  Pope ; 
every  system  of  religion  would  be  annihilated  but 
that  of  the  Pope.  It  is  impossible  that  a  system  of  this 
kind  should  always  exist.  Man  could  not  bear,  God 
would  not  suffer,  its  perpetual  continuance.  Such  a 
system  is  monstrous,  is  unnatural,  is  contrary  to 
every  political,  social,  moral,  and  religious  interest  of 
mankind.  It  withers  the  heart,  it  paralyzes  society, 
it  degrades  man,  it  insults  God.  Hence,  about  the 
beginning  of  the  fourteenth  century,  causes  began  to 
work,  whose  tendency  was  the  gradual,  but  ultimate 
overthrow  of  this  whole  system.  These  causes  began 
in  politics,  began  in  education,  began  in  religion, 
began  in  everything.  Public  sentiment,  that  had  long 
favoured  the  Papacy,  had  come  to  its  flood,  and  an 
ebb  of  human  opinion  began,  adverse  to  the  whole 
system  of  spiritual  despotism.  These  causes,  with 
great  and  powerful  auxiliaries,  are  still  at  work;  and 
although  there  have  been  obstructions  in  their  way, 
still  are  they  destined  to  operate  till  the  entire  papal 
fabric  shall  only  be  among  the  legends  of  the  past. 
Cold,  and  long,  and  dreary,  it  is  true,  has  been  the 
winter,  through  which  the  church  and  society  have 
passed.  But  the  spring  has  dawned,  the  summer  is 
approaching,  the  warming  sunbeams  are  falling,  the 
earth  is  relaxing,  the  fields  are  smiling,  and  no  power 
of  man  can  prevent  the  rich  harvest  of  blessings,  that 
God  is  about  to  bestow  on  a  ransomed  and  love-lit 
world.  True,  the  papist  would  still  carry  us  back  to 
his  dreary  Decembers — to  his  dark  and  gloomy  win- 
ters; he  would  still  surround  us  with  snow,  and  frost, 
and  death.  But  no,  the  voice  of  God  has  gone  forth; 
the  Spirit  of  the  Eternal  is  moving  on  the  hearts  of 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  303 

men,  and  retrogression  is  impossible.  Onward  is  the 
watchword,  and  onward  all  things  will  go;  the  Papacy 
to  destruction,  the  church  and  society  to  liberty,  sal- 
vation. 

But  let  us  now  apply  to  our  subject  the  facts  we  have 
here  contemplated.  The  book  of  God  foretells,  that 
after  the  apostolic  days,  somewhere  in  the  approach- 
ing future,  a  great  power  should  arise,  arrogating  to 
itself  divine  honours,  "  exalting  itself  above  all  that  is 
called  God,  or  that  is  worshipped-,"  possessing  "great 
authority,"  having  "power  over  all  kindreds,  and 
tongues  and  nations;  and  causing  all,  both  small  and 
great,  to  receive  a  mark  in  their  right  hands  or  in  their 
foreheads;  and  that  no  man  might  buy  or  sell,  save 
he  that  had  the  mark."  This  power  was  also  to  have 
its  seat  at  Rome;  it  was  to  be  a  nominally  Christian 
power,  for  it  was  "to  depart  from  the  faith."  It  was 
to  be  in  itself  a  small  power,  "a  little  horn,"  but  to 
derive  its  strength  from  the  kingdoms  around  it; 
"  these  kingdoms  having  one  mind  to  give  their 
power  and  strength  to  the  beast."  Such  are  the 
predictions;  but  where  shall  we  find  the  facts?  We 
cannot  find  them  in  imperial  Rome ;  for  this  power 
was  to  arise  upon  the  ruins  of  the  empire,  and  it  was 
to  continue  in  existence  twelve  hundred  and  sixty 
years,  which  the  Roman  empire  did  not.  We  cannot 
find  them  in  any  one,  or  even  in  all  the  kingdoms  of 
Europe  ;  we  cannot  find  them  among  the  Lutherans 
or  the  Calvinists.  Hence  Romanists,  dissatisfied  with 
all  applications  of  these  prophecies  to  the  past,  refer 
them  to  the  future.  They  speak  of  Antichrist  as 
yet  to  come.  But,  then,  they  forsake  the  prophecy; 
for  it  is  certain  that  Antichrist  was  directly  to  succeed 
the  downfall  of  the  Roman  empire.  Where,  then,  is 
Antichrist  ?  Let  facts  speak ;  let  Europe,  which  has 
been  down-trodden  so  long  by  papal  power,  testify. 
Let  prostrated  crowns,  and  abased  monarchs,  bear 
witness.  Let  the  blood  of  martyrdom  be  heard — all 
these  declare,  that  if  there  can  be  an  Antichrist,  the 
papal  autocrat  is  he. 


304         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 


CHAPTER   XI. 


ANTICHRIST   DISTINGUISHED   FOR   CRAFT    AND    PRETENDED    MIRACLES. 

In  the  "little  horn"  upon  the  head  of  the  fourth  beast 
in  Daniel's  vision,  were  "  eyes  like  the  eyes  of  man." 
This  peculiarity  was  seen  by  the  prophet  in  none  of 
the  other  ten  horns.  These  eyes  were  the  symbols  of 
knowledge  and  sagacity.  And  as  the  "  little  horn" 
indicated  not  a  good,  but  a  wicked  power,  they  were 
designed  to  express  the  cunning  and  craft,  which  such 
wicked  power  would  employ,  in  persecuting  the  saints 
and  in  opposing  God.  The  Apostle  Paul  gives  us  the 
idea  more  literally.  He  describes  the  man  of  sin  as 
coming  "  with  all  deceivableness  of  unrighteousness" 
(ff  Haarj  artatri  t^s  aStxtaj),  and  as  "  speaking  lies  in 

hypocrisy,  (ev  vrtoxpiasi  ^svSoXoycov.  ) 

That  these  passages  refer  to  Antichrist,  even  Ro- 
manists themselves  admit.  "The  little  horn,"  says 
the  Commentator  on  the  Do  way  Bible,  "is  commonly 
understood  of  Antichrist."  The  same  authority  says, 
"  The  man  of  sin  agrees  to  the  wicked  and  great  Anti- 
christ, who  will  come  before  the  end  of  the  world." 
The  difference  between  this  commentator  and  our- 
selves is,  that,  while  he  considers  Antichrist  as  yet  to 
come,  we  affirm,  that  he  is  even  now  in  the  world." 

If  then,  these  passages  refer  to  Antichrist,  they 
teach,  that  cunning  and  craft  are  to  be  among  his 
chief  characteristics.  That  these  traits  are  more  noto- 
rious in  the  papal  church,  than  in  any  other  estab- 
lishment ever  known  among  mankind,  needs  scarcely 
to  be  affirmed.  The  evidences  of  their  existence  have 
filled  its  history  for  more  than  a  thousand  years. 

The  first  instance  we  notice  of  the  craft  of  this 
church  is,  in  its  mode  of  interpreting  the  holy  Scrip- 
tures.    That  the   Scriptures  are    to  be  interpreted 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  305 

like  all  other  books,  is  evident.  Although  the  truth 
in  them  is  inspired,  that  is,  delivered  from  heaven, 
yet  the  language  is  human.  The  very  object  of  this 
volume  is,  to  make  known  to  man,  in  his  own  modes 
of  speech,  the  will  of  God  for  his  direction  and  salva- 
tion. The  Papacy,  however,  considers  this  book  of 
such  difficult  interpretation,  that,  withholding  it  from 
the  people  generally,  it  only  furnishes  such  portions 
as  its  forced,  though  infallible  interpretations,  have  so 
far  glossed,  that  the  original  meaning  is  entirely  con- 
cealed. 

We  shall  notice  only  two  of  the  unnumbered  per- 
versions of  this  kind.  In  Matt.  xvi.  18,  Christ  ad- 
dresses Peter  in  the  following  language  :  "And  I  say 
unto  thee,  that  thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I 
will  build  my  church,  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not 
prevail  against  it."  This  text  has  been  used  by 
Catholic  writers  as  the  very  foundation  of  their  papal 
system.  "  It  is  proved,"  says  Dens,  "that  Peter  re- 
ceived supremacy  from  Christ  above  the  other  Apos- 
tles from  Matt.  xvi.  18,  where  the  supremacy  is  pro- 
mised, and  John  xxi.  where  it  is  conferred."*  The 
passage  referred  to  in  John  is  the  following:  "Then 
said  Jesus  unto  them  again,  Peace  be  unto  you ;  as 
my  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you.  Whose- 
soever sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  unto  them,  and 
whosesoever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained  unto 
them."  This  latter  passage,  in  which  Christ  addresses 
the  apostles  in  a  body,  and  in  which  he  conferred 
upon  them,  if  any  thing,  equal  authority,  is  said  to 
teach  Peter's  supremacy  above  his  brethren.  Surely, 
if  this  was  the  time,  when  Peter  had  conferred  upon 
him  the  supremacy  previously  promised,  he  never  re- 
ceived it  at  all.  And  as  the  text  quoted  to  prove  that 
Peter  received  the  supremacy  has  failed,  so,  no  doubt, 
.  will  the  text  said  to  contain  the  promise  of  supremacy, 
also  fail. 

1.  This  supremacy  is  not  contained  in  the  words  of 
this  text.     There  is  evidently  a  wide  distinction  be- 

*  Theol.  xxiii. 
21 


30G         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

tween  the  word  Peter  (m^os)  and  the  two  words, 
"  this  rock  (tavtq  *q  7iete;a)  used  in  this  verse.  They 
are  not  the  same,  either  in  our  English  version,  or  in 
the  original  Greek.*  The  nearest  that  these  words 
can  approximate  to  identity,  is  in  the  following  ver- 
sion of  the  text — <  Thou  art  a  stone,  and  upon  this 
rock  I  will  build  my  church.'  Now  it  is  certain,  that 
if  Christ  had  intended  to  say,  that  his  church  should 
be  built  upon  a  stone,  he  would  have  used  the  same 
word  in  both  parts  of  the  sentence.  But  he  affirms 
that  his  church  shall  be  built,  not  upon  a  stone,  but 
upon  a  particular  rock.  Nor  is  this  all — the  word  Peter 
here  is  evidently  used  as  a  proper  name,  and  not  as  a 
collective  noun.  If  then  Christ  had  intended  to  af- 
firm, that  he  would  build  his  church'upon  the  apostle, 
he  would  have  used  the  following  mode  of  address : 
'Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  thee  will  I  build  my  church.' 
Where  that  apostle  is  meant  in  the  next  verse,  this  is 
the  mode  of  expression :  "  I  will  give  to  thee  the 
keys,  &c."  Besides  the  fact,  too,  that  these  words 
are  really  different  in  themselves,  the  sense  of  the 
passage  requires,  that  they  should  be  different.  Sup- 
pose them  identical ;  then  Christ  is  made  to  say,  that 
his  church  shall  be  built  on  Peter.  Now,  besides  the 
positive  falsehood,  if  not  blasphemy,  of  such  a  decla- 
ration, there  is  absurdity  in  the  very  idea.  How  can 
a  church,  or  government  of  any  kind,  be  built  upon  a 
man  ?  Romulus,  though  the  first  king,  was  not  the 
foundation  of  the  Roman  government.  Nor  are  the 
kings  of  England  or  France  the  foundation  of  the  re- 
spective monarchies  in  those  countries.  The  founda- 
tion of  a  government  is  its  constitutional  laws ;  the 
foundation  of  a  church  is  its  fundamental  doctrines. 
It  is  absurd  to  speak  of  any  man  as  the  foundation  of 
either  church  or  state  ;  a  man  may  be  a  founder,  or  a 
builder,  or  a  ruler,  but  never  a  foundation.  But  ad-« 
in  it  this  absurdity;  place  Peter  as  the  foundation  of  the 
church;  then  we  deny  that  he  can  be  its  ruler.  There 
certainly  is  some  difference  between  the  foundation  of 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  F. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  307 

a  house,  and  its  master.  If  Peter  therefore  be  at  the 
foundation,  he  cannot  also  be  at  the  head  of  the  church. 
The  very  ground  therefore,  which  these  critics  take, 
defeats  their  object,  and  renders  Peter's  primacy,  as 
contained  in  this  text,  impossible. 

2.  Nor  does  the  context  show  that  the  primacy  of 
Peter  is  contained  in  these  words.  The  following 
verse  has  been  quoted  with  this  intention :  "  And  I 
will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  hea- 
ven." Now,  there  certainly  must  be  a  wide  difference 
between  occupying  the  foundation  of  a  house,  and 
carrying  its  keys.  The  two  offices  cannot  be  performed 
by  the  same  person;*  if  Peter  therefore  be  the  foun- 
dation, he  cannot  be  the  keys-carrier,  and  if  he  be. the 
keys-carrier,  he  cannot  be  the  foundation.  To  sup- 
pose therefore,  that  our  Lord  intended  to  convey  the 
same  idea,  by  two  such  different  and  opposite  figures, 
is  to  suppose  him  ignorant  of  the  meaning  of  language. 
Nor  can  such  supremacy  be  inferred  from  the  prece- 
ding verses.  Christ  had  asked  the  question — "  Who 
do  men  say,  that  I,  the  Son  of  man,  am?"  The  reply 
of  the  apostles  was,  "  some,  John  the  Baptist,  some, 
Elias,  and  others  Jeremias,  or  one  of  the  prophets." 
He  then  asked  the  apostles  themselves,  as  to  their 
belief  in  the  matter, — "But  who  say  ye  that  I  am?" 
Peter,  more  promptly  than  the  rest,  exclaimed :  "  Thou 
art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God." — "  Blessed 
art  thou,  Simon  Bar-jona;"  says  Jesus,  "for  flesh  and 
blood  hath  not  revealed  it  (viz.  that  I  am  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God)  unto  thee,  but  my  Father, 
which  is  in  heaven.  And  I  say  unto  thee,  thou  art 
Peter,  (that  is,  by  this  confession,  thou  well  deservest 
the  name  I  have  given  thee)  and  upon  this  rock  (the 
truth  which  thou  hast  confessed,  that  I  am  the  Christ) 
I  will  build  my  church,  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not 
prevail  against  it."  Such  is  evidently  the  meaning  of 
the  passage.  Hence  at  the  conclusion  of  the  conver- 
sation, Jesus  charged  his  disciples,  that  "  they  should 
tell  no  man  that  he  was  Jesus,  the  Christ."     This  was 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  G. 


308         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

the  truth  after  which  the  Saviour  was  inquiring;  it 
was  the  truth  which  Peter  confessed;  it  was  the  truth 
which  Christ  ^ffirmed  had  been  revealed  to  him  by 
his  Father;  it  was  the  truth  which  he  wished,  for 
the  present,  to  be  kept  secret; — and  it  is  the  truth 
upon  which  the  Christian  church,  both  was  to  be,  and 
is  founded. 

Roman  Catholic  writers  tell  us,  that  Christ  used  the 
Syriac  word,  Cephas,  which  has  no  variety  of  gender. 
Admit  it.  They  still  have  to  prove,  that  by  the  use 
of  the  word  Cephas  in  the  second  instance,  Christ  did 
not  mean  a  rock,  but  the  apostle  of  that  name.  Mat- 
thew, however,  must  have  understood  the  Syriac.  He 
was  also  inspired  in  writing  the  Greek.  Why,  then, 
does  he  render  the  second  Cephas  by  petra,  and  not 
by  petron?  If  he  believed  his  Master  meant  the 
same  thing,  in  the  twofold  use  of  the  term  Cephas, 
why  did  he  use,  in  the  second  instance,  a  word  which 
always  signifies  a  rock,  but  never  the  apostle  Peter? 
This  supposition  makes  even  this  inspired  writer  to 
err,  worse  than  a  mere  tyro  in  the  use  of  language. 
Thus,  it  is  impossible,  upon  any  rational  mode  of  cri- 
ticism, to  wrest  out  of  this  passage  the  primacy  of  the 
apostle  Peter.     It  is  not  there,  nor  the  promise  of  it. 

3.  Nor  can  such  primacy  be  educed  from  this  passage 
through  the  analogy  of  Christian  doctrine.  Were  the 
primacy  of  Peter  of  the  importance  ascribed  to  it  by 
Papists,  then  might  we  expect  to  find  it  so  interwoven 
with  Christian  doctrine  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  as  to 
leave  no  doubt  of  its  reality.  We  find  it,  however, 
not  even  hinted  at  in  the  doctrinal  portions  of  the  New 
Testament.  "Other  foundation,"  says  Paul,  "  can  no 
man  lay  than  that  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ." 
1  Cor.  iii.  11.  In  the  book  of  Revelation,  too,  where 
John  speaks  of  the  twelve  foundations  of  the  holy 
city,  he  does  not  represent  the  name  of  Peter  as  the 
only  one  written  on  those  foundations:  but  "  the  names 
of  the  twelve  apostles  of  the  Lamb."  Rev.  xxi.  14. 
The  apostle  Paul  also  represents  converted  gentiles, 
as  being  built,  not  upon  Peter,  but  "upon  the  founda- 
tion of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  309 

being  the  chief  corner-stone."  Eph.  ii.  20.  Let  it  be  ob- 
served here,  too,  that  neither  John  nor  Paul  represents 
the  apostles,  or  the  apostles  and  prophets,  as  the  foun- 
dation either  of  the  church  or  holy  city.  John  speaks 
of  the  names  of  the  apostles  only  as  being  written  on 
the  twelve  foundations.  And  Paul  draws,  in  1  Cor. 
iii.,  a  very  broad  distinction  between  the  foundation, 
which  an  apostle  lays,  and  an  apostle  himself.  The 
primacy  of  Peter,  then,  is  no  such  article  of  Christian 
faith,  that  one  must  infer  it  from  Matt.  xvi.  18,  be- 
cause, by  a  great  perversion  of  language,  it  may  be 
inferred  from  that  passage. 

4.  Nor  can  the  primacy  of  Peter  be  inferred  from 
this  passage,  from  any  thing  afterwards  recorded, 
either  in  the  life  of  this  apostle,  or  in  the  history  of 
the  early  church.  What  sovereignty  did  Peter  exer- 
cise, either  at  Jerusalem,  at  Antioch,  or  any  where 
else?  Was  he  a  very  Pope,  and  were  the  other  apos- 
tles but  cardinals  around  him?  Every  one  knows 
the  entire  falsehood  of  such  a  supposition.  The  apos- 
tle Paul  declares,  that  *'  he  was  not  a  whit  behind  the 
very  chiefest  of  the  apostles."  2  Cor.  xi.  5.  And  in 
enumerating  church  officers,  he  places  at  the  head  of 
the  list,  not  Peter,  but  the  "apostles"  jointly.  "And 
God  hath  set  some  in  the  church,  first  apostles." 
1  Cor.  xii.  28. 

Thus  have  we  shown,  from  the  words  themselves, 
from  the  context,  from  the  analogy  of  Scripture  doc- 
trine, and  from  subsequent  facts,  that  the  primacy  of 
Peter  is  neither  contained  nor  promised  in  this  text. 
Yet,  Papists  deduce  from  it  the  three  following  con- 
clusions:— that  Peter  was  constituted  head  of  the 
church,  that  this  supremacy  was  set  up  at  Rome,  and 
that  it  has  been  left  in  that  city  as  a  legacy  to  all  suc- 
ceeding— I  know  not  whether  to  say — apostles,  bishops, 
or  popes ! 

The  other  passage  of  Scripture  which  Papists  have 
forced  into  their  servicers  that  contained  in  Matt, 
xxvi.  26-28.  "And  as  they  were  eating,  Jesus  took 
bread  and  blessed  it,  and  brake  it,  and  gave  it  to  the 
disciples,  and  said,  Take,  eat;  this  is  my  body.     And 

27* 


310        THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

he  took  the  cup  and  gave  thanks,  and  gave  it  to  them 
saying,  Drink  ye  all  of  it;  for  this  is  my  blood  of  the 
new  testament,  which  is  shed  for  many  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins."  To  most  readers  this  passage  is  per- 
fectly simple  and  of  easy  comprehension.  No  one 
but  a  Papist  would  ever  imagine,  that  by  the  expres- 
sions, this  is  my  body,  (tovto  soti  to  aujfia  pov) — this 
is  my  blood,  (tovto  yae,  tati  to  altua  fxov) — that  Christ 
meant  his  literal  body  and  blood.  The  body  of  Christ 
was  then  before  the  very  eyes  of  the  disciples  unbro- 
ken; his  blood  was  in  his  veins  unshed.  It  must, 
therefore,  have  been  perfectly  manifest  to  the  apostles 
that  their  Master  was  speaking  figuratively,  and  not 
literally.  But,  upon  this  simple  language,  have  Ro- 
manists founded  the  monstrous  doctrine  of  transab- 
stantiotion!  The  following  is  a  decree  of  the  Coun- 
cil of  Trent:  "Whosoever  shall  deny  that  in  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  most  holy  eucharist  are  contained  truly, 
really,  and  substantially  the  body  and  blood,  together 
with  the  soul  and  divinity  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  therefore  the  entire  Christ,  but  shall  say  that  he 
is  in  it  only  as  in  a  sign,  or  figure,  or  virtue;  let  him 
be  accursed."*  Here,  not  only  are  the  words  of 
Christ  literalized,  which  they  were  not  intended  to  be, 
but  they  are  transcended.  The  most  rigid  interpreta- 
tion that  can  be  adopted,  would  only  require  that  the 
bread  should  be  the  body,  and  the  wine  the  blood  of 
Christ.  But  even  this  literalism  did  not  satisfy  Rome. 
She  must  have  also  the  "soul"  and  "divinity"  of  our 
Lord — yea,  the  "  entire  Christ"  Nor  is  this  all:  the 
entire  Christ,  she  teaches,  is  contained  in  each  frag- 
ment of  the  bread,  and  in  each  drop  of  the  wine.  Nor 
is  even  this  all;  the  bread  and  wine,  thus  converted 
into  the  entire  Christ,  even  in  their  minutest  particles, 
are  offered  to  the  people  to  be  adored  with  the  wor- 
ship of  latria,  that  which  is  paid  to  God  only!  Nor 
is  even  this  all.  The  sacrifice  of  the  mass  is  next 
offered,  for  the  living  and  the  dead.  Here  is  certain- 
ly one  of  the  most  extraordinary  bundles  of  absurdi- 

*  De  sacro-sancto  euchariBtieB  Sacramento. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  311 

ties,  which  ever  entered  into  the  head  of  mortal.  Bread 
and  wine,  converted  by  a  priest,  into  something  like 
a  thousand  Christs  at  a  time!  And  as  this  is  a  daily 
service,  performed  in  many  places  over  the  earth,  and 
also  in  past  generations,  many  millions  of  times,  al- 
most as  many  Christs  have  thus  been  formed,  as  there 
are  particles  of  sand  on  the  banks  of  the  Tiber!  How 
shocking  to  common  sense  is  such  a  doctrine !  And 
yet,  this  is  the  Papal  mode  of  interpreting  Scripture! 
No  wonder  that  Papists  prohibit  the  common  reading 
of  the  word  of  God;  for  even  the  most  superficial  ac- 
quaintance with  this  holy  volume,  would  be  sufficient 
to  overthrow  their  entire  system. 

The  two  texts  of  Scripture  we  have  been  consider- 
ing, through  the  gross  perversions  of  their  meaning  by 
Papists,  have  given  rise  to  the  Pope  and  the  Mass, 
those  tremendous  agents  of  papal  power  and  papal 
superstition.  The  same  mode  of  interpretation  is  pur- 
sued, in  deducing  from  the  oracles  of  God,  scriptural 
authority  for  all  their  various  inventions  and  super- 
stitions. Thus  it  is  coolly  affirmed,  by  Dens,  that 
since  the  candlestick  in  the  Jewish  tabernacle  had 
seven  branches,  therefore,  there  are  seven  sacra- 
ments; and  that  since  Peter  alone  of  all  the  apos- 
tles walked  with  Christ  on  the  water,  therefore,  we 
may  infer  his  primacy. 

A  second  instance  of  the  craft  of  the  Papacy,  may 
be  found  in  its  use  of  tradition  as  a  divine  rule  of  faith. 
One  would  imagine,  that  its  convenient  mode  of  in- 
terpreting Scripture  would  answer  all  its  purposes. 
But  no,  the  Bible,  even  when  eclipsed  and  surrounded 
by  papal  interpretations,  still  emits  too  much  light 
upon  the  consciences  of  these  crafty  men,  to  allow  all 
their  gross  departures  from  its  teachings.  They  need, 
therefore,  another  and  a  yet  more  flexible  rule  of  faith. 
Hence,  tradition  is  placed  upon  equal  footing  with 
Scripture  in  matters  of  faith  and  practice.  But  even 
tradition,  and  especially  early  tradition,  is  too  inflexi- 
ble for  them.  They  must,  therefore,  invent  some 
method  to  divest  it  of  its  power  of  reproof.  What  is 
that  method?     Peter  Dens  shall  inform  us:   "What- 


312         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

ever  the  Catholic  church  holds,  or  decrees  as  such,  is 
to  be  regarded  as  tradition."*  This  is  perfectly  legi- 
timate; for  if  the  church  has  the  right  to  make  tradi- 
tion its  rule  of  faith,  instead  of  the  Scriptures,  it  cer- 
tainly must  have  the  right  also,  to  mould  and  fashion 
that  tradition  as  it  pleases.  Here  then  is  another 
abyss  of  papal  fraud.  This  crafty  power  passes  off 
to  hundreds  of  thousands  of  men,  its  own  fabricated 
traditions,  as  containing  that  will  of  God,  which  they 
are  bound  to  obey!  Here  are  the  eyes  of  "  the  little 
horn," — here  "  the  man  of  sin,"  coming  in  "  all  de- 
ceivableness  of  unrighteousness." 

But  neither  perverted  Scripture,  nor  perverted  tra- 
dition could  give  to  this  wicked  power  sufficient 
liberty.  It  had  recourse,  therefore,  to  positive  and 
barefaced  forgeries.  The  chief  pillars  of  papal  usur- 
pations in  the  middle  ages  were  the  false  Decretals, 
and  the  Donation  of  Constantine.  These  two  instru- 
ments gave  to  the  Pope  unlimited  power,  in  both 
church  and  state ;  and  yet,  they  were  both  mere 
fabrications!  "  No  one,"  says  Hallam,  "  has  pretend- 
ed to  deny  for  the  last  two  centuries,  that  the  impos- 
ture of  the  Decretals  is  too  palpable  for  any  but  the 
most  ignorant  ages  to  credit."!  "  The  falsity  of  the 
Donation,"  says  Daunou,  "  according  to  Fleury,  is 
more  generally  admitted,  than  that  of  the  Decretals  of 
Isidore;  and  if  the  Donation  of  Constantine  should 
yet  obtain  any  credit,  it  would  be  sufficient  to  trans- 
cribe it,  in  order  to  show  it  to  be  unworthy  of  be- 
lief.":}: Here,  then,  are  two  celebrated  forgeries, 
known  to  be  such  by  the  papal  hierarchy,  and  yet 
for  centuries  appealed  to,  for  the  support  and  exten- 
sion of  papal  authority  over  the  liberties  both  of  church 
and  state ! 

But  the  power  of  the  Pope  needs  to  be  extended  in 
another  direction.  It  is  not  enough  to  annihilate  the 
independence  of  thrones,  and  the  freedom  of  the 
people  of  God;  the  infernal  regions  must  be  entered, 

*  Theol.,  ch.  xviii.  t  Middle  Ages,  ch.  vii. 

t  Court  of  Rome,  3. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  313 

and  the  fires  of  purgatory  kindled.  "Purgatory," 
according  to  Bellarmine,  "  is  situated  in  the  centre  of 
the  earth;  it  forms  one  of  the  four  compartments  into 
which  the  infernal  regions  are  divided.  In  the  first 
of  these  the  damned  are  placed;  the  second  is  purga- 
tory ;  in  the  third  reside  the  spirits  of  infants  who 
died  without  baptism ;  the  fourth  is  limbus,  the 
abode  of  the  pious  who  departed  this  life  before  the 
birth  of  Christ,  and  were  delivered  by  him  when  he 
descended  into  hell.  The  pains  of  purgatory  are  so 
horribly  severe  that  no  sufferings  ever  borne  in  this 
world  can  be  compared  with  them.  How  long  they 
continue  is  not  known ;  but  it  is  thought  thatthe  process 
of  purification  is  very  gradual,  and  that  some  will  not 
be  thoroughly  cleansed  till  the  day  of  judgment. " 

This  is  the  doctrine  which  the  Council  of  Trent  en- 
joins, shall  be  "  everywhere  taught  and  preached" 
(doceri  et  ubique  prasdicari).  But  no  such  doctrine 
as  this,  is  contained  in  the  word  of  God.  The  blood 
of  Christ,  we  are  there  assured,  "  cleanseth  us  from 
all  sin."  1  John  i.  7.  The  apostle  Paul  also  teaches 
that  "  there  is  no  condemnation  to  them  that  are  in 
Christ  Jesus."  Rom.  viii.  1.  He  also  asserts  that  for 
such  "  to  be  absent  from  the  body,  is  to  be  present 
with  the  Lord."  2  Cor.  v.  8.  A  wonderful  salvation 
would  that  of  Christ  be,  indeed,  if  after  souls  had 
taken  refuge  in  him  as  their  Saviour,  they  must  still 
be  sent  down  to  the  infernal  regions,  to  suffer  in  the 
fires  of  purgatory,  the  expiation  of  their  offences! 
Such  a  doctrine  is  a  reproach  upon  Christ,  is  contrary 
to  the  whole  teaching  of  the  Scriptures,  is  calculated 
to  enslave  even  those  who  are  pardoned,  and  is,  more- 
over, subversive  of  the  entire  scheme  of  salvation  by 
grace.  There  is  no  grace  in  it,  as  certainly  there  is 
no  truth.  Why  then  such  an  invention?  Simply  to 
increase  the  power  and  wealth  of  the  Roman  priest- 
hood. These  are  the  motives;  and  if  these  could 
cease  to  operate,  the  fires  of  purgatory  would  long 
since  have  been  extinguished. 

Look  next  at  the  long  catalogue  of  sacred  relics. 
The  apostle  Paul  taught,  that  in  his  day,  as  now, 


314         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

"the  fashion  of  this  world  passeth  away."  And 
Isaiah  had  affirmed  even  before  Paul,  that  "all  flesh 
is  grass,  and  all  the  goodliness  thereof  as  the  flower 
of  the  field."  Moses  too  had  declared  earlier  still, 
"  dust  thou  art  and  to  dust  thou  shalt  return."  These 
physical  laws,  however,  seem  to  have  had  no  applica- 
tion to  the  bones  of  saints,  the  wood  of  the  Saviour's 
cross,  or  even  to  his  coat.  All  these,  and  ten  thou- 
sand others  like  them,  are  carefully  preserved  by 
pious  Roman  Catholics,  as  mementos  of  ancient 
piety,  and  objects  of  religious  homage!  "They 
show  at  Rome,"  says  a  modern  traveller,  "the  heads 
of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  encased  in  silver  busts  and 
set  with  jewels ;  a  lock  of  the  virgin  Mary's  hair,  a 
phial  of  her  tears,  and  piece  of  her  green  petticoat ;  a 
robe  of  Jesus  Christ  sprinkled  with  his  blood,  some 
drops  of  his  blood  in  a  bottle,  some  of  the  water 
which  flowed  out  of  the  wound  in  his  side,  some  of 
the  sponge,  a  large  piece  of  the  cross,  all  the  nails 
used  in  the  crucifixion ;  a  piece  of  the  stone  of  the 
sepulchre  on  which  the  angel  sat;  the  identical  por- 
phyry pillar  on  which  the  cock  perched  when  he 
crowed,  after  Peter  denied  Christ;  the  rods  of  Moses 
and  Aaron,  and  two  pieces  of  the  wood  of  the  real 
ark  of  the  covenant."*  Now  can  any  one  imagine, 
that  Papists  who  have  the  least  intelligence  can  pos- 
sibly believe  that  these  are  bond  fide  relics  !  They 
know  that  they  are  not.  Why  then  are  they  employ- 
ed as  objects  of  religious  veneration  ?  To  delude  the 
vulgar,  to  extort  money  from  them,  and  to  deepen  the 
shades  of  that  already  too  dark  superstition,  in  which 
Catholic  ecclesiastics  are  made  to  move,  as  superna- 
tural beings  !  0  Popery  !  Popery  !  Thou  hast  an 
awful  doom  before  thee,  when  the  Judge  of  all  shall 
tear  off  thy  mask,  and  reveal  thy  nakedness  to  an  ab- 
horring world  ! 

These  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  "lies  spoken  in 
hypocrisy"  by  which  this  unnatural  and  wicked  sys- 
tem is  sustained.     This  whole  papal  fabric  is  based 

*  Cramp.  361. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  315 

in  fraud,  is  pillared  on  falsehood,  is  defended  by  de- 
ceit, and  propagated  by  hypocrisy. 

We  now  proceed  to  consider  the  miracles  per- 
formed by  the  Papacy,  as  proof  of  its  antichristian 
character.  The  Apostle  Paul  represents  Antichrist 
as  coming  "after  the  working  of  Satan,  with  all 
power,  and  signs  and  lying  wonders." — (o^atoij,  xat, 

ffgaai  <fyev8ov$. ) 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that  while  all  other  sects 
and  religious  parties  believe  that  miracles  have  long 
since  ceased,  the  ends  having  been  answered  for 
which  they  were  appointed,  papists  still  pretend, 
that  miracles  are  performed  in  their  communion. 
Were  such  miracles  real  and  not  pretended,  and  were 
they,  moreover,  performed  by  holy  men,  and  in  the 
cause  of  truth,  the  Romish  church  would  stand  out 
before  the  world,  as  a  divinely  constituted  body,  and 
as  having  the  indwelling  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  But,  if 
these  miracles  are  base  impostures,' and  if  they  are 
performed  by  wicked  men  in  defence  of  error,  then 
do  they  proclaim  with  the  voice  of  thunder,  that  the 
Papacy  is  Antichrist,  and  that  the  Roman  church  is 
but  marking  herself  with  the  signs  of  the  beast. 

That  the  Papacy  sanctions  modern  miracles  is  cer- 
tain. What  is  the  doctrine  of  transubstantiation,  but 
a  standing  recognition  of  miraculous  power  in  the 
Romish  priesthood?  Can  we  imagine  a  greater  mi- 
racle, than  the  formation  of  a  "  whole  Christ,"  from  a 
piece  of  bread  ?  Neither  Moses,  nor  Elijah,  nor  Peter, 
nor  Jesus,  performed  so  wonderful  a  miracle  as  this. 
Extreme  unction  is  also  attended  with  miraculous 
effect.  "  Whosoever  shall  affirm,"  says  Trent,  "  that 
the  sacred  unction  of  the  sick  does  not  confer  grace, 
nor  forgive  sins,  nor  relieve  the  sick,  {nee  alleviare 
injirmos,)  but  that  its  power  has  ceased,  as  if  the  gift 
of  healing  existed  only  in  past  ages;  let  him  be 
accursed."  Every  saint,  too,  who  is  canonized  at 
Rome,  must  have  performed  miracles,  previously  to 
his  being  admitted  to  such  exalted  honour.  "  Before 
a  beatified  person  is  canonized,  the  qualifications," 


316  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

says  Buck,  "of  the  candidate  are  strictly  examined 
into,  in  some  consistories  held  for  that  purpose;  after 
which  one  of  the  consistorial  advocates,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  Pope  and  cardinals,  makes  the  panegyric 
of  the  person  who  is  to  be  proclaimed  a  saint,  and 
gives  a  particular  detail  of  his  life  and  miracles; 
which  being  done,  the  holy  father  decrees  his  canoni- 
zation, and  appoints  the  day."  Such  canonization, 
however,  cannot  take  place  until  fifty  years  after  the 
candidate's  death;  when,  as  one  would  think,  it  must 
be  a  pretty  difficult  task,  either  to  establish  or  dis- 
prove the  reality  of  his  miracles. 

As  specimens  of  the  miracles  performed  in  the 
papal  church,  we  give  the  following.  "At  Hales," 
says  Hume,  "in  the  county  of  Gloucester,  there  had 
been  shown,  during  several  ages,  the  blood  of  Christ 
brought  from  Jerusalem;  and  it  is  easy  to  imagine 
the  veneration  with  which  such  a  relic  was  regarded. 
A  miraculous  circumstance  also  attended  this  miracu- 
lous relic;  the  sacred  blood  was  not  visible  to  any  one 
in  mortal  sin,  even  when  set  before  him;  and  till  he 
had  performed  good  works,  sufficient  for  his  absolu- 
tion, it  would  not  deign  to  discover  itself  to  him.  At 
the  dissolution  of  the  monastery,  the  whole  contri- 
vance was  detected.  Two  of  the  monks,  who  were 
let  into  the  secret,  had  taken  the  blood  of  a  duck, 
which  they  renewed  every  week:  they  put  it  into  a 
phial,  one  side  of  which  consisted  of  thin  and  trans- 
parent crystal,  the  other  of  thick  and  opaque.  When 
any  rich  pilgrim  arrived,  they  were  sure  to  show  him 
the  dark  side  of  the  phial,  till  masses  and  offerings  had 
expiated  his  offences;  and  then  finding  his  money,  or 
patience,  or  faith  nearly  exhausted,  they  made  him 
happy  by  turning  the  phial." 

This  is  a  specimen  of  a  bond  fide  Roman  Catholic 
miracle!  For  several  generations,  had  our  English 
ancestors  paid  their  homage  at  this  celebrated  monas- 
tery.    They  revered  the  very  earth  on  which  such  a 

*  Hist.  Eng.,  ch.  xxxi. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  317 

holy  building  stood.  They  venerated  the  monks  resi- 
dent here,  as  men  of  peculiar  sanctity,  and  as  the  inti- 
mate friends  of  the  Deity.  They  especially  worshipped 
the  holy  relic,  and  felt,  whenever  they  saw  the  pre- 
cious blood,  that  their  sins  were  all  forgiven.  They 
left  their  offerings  and  gifts  with  a  cheerful  heart,  and 
returned  to  their  homes,  not  only  to  tell  the  glad  story, 
but  also  to  forward  other  pilgrims  to  the  holy  spot. 
And  what  does  the  whole  turn  out  to  be?  The  blood 
of  a  duck  every  week  renewed  !  A  base  trick  of 
designing  and  covetous  monks!  Surely,  we  must 
blush  for  humanity  at  a  scene  like  this.  All  this  is 
done,  too,  under  the  holy  sanctions  of  religion,  and  as 
carrying  palpable  evidence  to  the  heart  of  every 
beholder,  of  the  truth  of  the  gospel,  and  the  authority 
of  the  papal  church. 

The  same  historian  furnishes  another  example  of 
the  same  kind  of  miracles.  "A  miraculous  crucifix," 
says  he,  "  had  been  kept  at  Boxley  in  Kent,  and  bore 
the  appellation  of  'the  rood  of  grace.'  The  lips,  and 
eyes,  and  head  of  the  image,  moved  on  the  approach 
of  its  votaries.  Hilsey,  bishop  of  Rochester,  broke 
the  crucifix,  at  St.  Paul's  cross,  and  showed  to  the 
whole  people,  the  springs  and  wheels  by  which  it 
had  been  secretly  moved."*  Here  was  another  papal 
wonder.  Multitudes  had  worshipped  this  crucifix,  as 
they  would  Christ  himself.  They  had.  felt  all  the 
emotions  of  joy  and  astonishment  while  gazing  upon 
it.  They  had  enriched  its  keepers,  and  blessed  their 
own  consciences  with  the  tokens  of  pardon  and  salva- 
tion. And  what  is  this  great  wonder?  The  mere 
mechanism  of  Romish  priests,  to  enforce  superstition, 
to  exalt  themselves,  and  to  enrich  their  fraternity. 
And  yet  these  are  the  proofs  incontrovertible — the 
miracles  which  papists  boast  as  affording  divine  testi- 
mony to  the  purity  and  authority  of  their  system! 
From  the  benefits  of  such  miracles,  may  God  ever 
deliver  his  church  and  people! 

The   two  following  miracles  are  taken  from  the 

*  Hist,  of  Eng.,  chap.  xxxi. 
2S 


318         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

Roman  Breviary.  •"  St.  Francis  Xavier  turned  a  suffi- 
cient quantity  of  salt  water  into  fresh,  to  save  the 
lives  of  five  hundred  travellers,  who  were  dying  of 
thirst,  enough  being  left  to  allow  a  large  exportation 
to  different  parts  of  the  world,  where  it  performed 
astonishing  cures !  St.  Raymond  de  Pennafort  laid 
his  cloak  on  the  sea,  and  sailed  thereon  from  Majorca 
to  Barcelona,  a  distance  of  a  hundred  and  sixty  miles, 
in  six  hours  !"* 

These  are  but  a  few  of  the  myriads  of  similar  mi- 
racles which  Popery  tolerates,  which  Popery  practises, 
and  of  which  Popery  boasts  !  That  they  are  incredible, 
every  one  can  at  once  perceive — that  they  are  not  only 
superstitious,  but  fraudulent,  none  can  doubt.  Why 
then  their  existence  ?  Why,  they  were  invented,  ages 
past,  to  support  the  church  and  to  make  gain.  They 
are  a  part  of  the  transmitted  commerce  of  mystical 
Babylon.  But  for  such  miracles,  much  of  the  trading 
capital  of  Rome  would  be  left  in  the  market.  The 
business,  therefore,  must  be  kept  up;  and  as  long  as 
there  are  devotees  simple  enough  to  credit  such 
things,  there  will,  of  course,  be  found  priests  wicked 
enough  to  defend  and  practise  them.  And  there  is 
another  reason: — Rome  must  fulfil  her  destiny;  she 
must  correspond  to  every  prophecy  concerning  her ; 
and  one  of  these  prophecies  is,  that  she  will  practise, 
through  the  working  of  Satan,  "signs  and  lying  won- 
ders." 

Here,  then,  we  have  two  additional  marks  of  Anti- 
christ most  strangely  meeting  in  the  Papacy.  Anti- 
christ was  to  practise  craft  and  deceit,  above  all  other 
powers.  For  these  things  Rome  has  been  unrivalled 
in  the  history  of  human  governments.  Antichrist  was 
also  to  perform  "lying  wonders,"  and  "signs;"  he 
was  to  be  notorious  for  false  miracles.  Such  miracles 
are  every  where  characteristic  of  the  Romish  commu- 
nion. If,  then,  scriptural  predictions  are  expected  to 
have  their  fulfilment  in  corresponding  facts,  what  set 
of  facts  can  more  clearly  indicate   the  fulfilment  of 

*  Cramp.  365. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  319 

prophecy,  than  these  to  which  we  have  alluded? 
Strange,  strange  indeed,  must  it  be,  that  all  the  pro- 
phecies concerning  Antichrist,  should  point  directly  to 
Rome,  and  yet  Antichrist  not  be  at  Rome!  But  these 
prophecies  do  not  lie;  nor  can  we  well  be  mistaken  in 
their  application.  They  refer  to  the  Papacy — they 
proclaim  the  Pope  as  Antichrist.  The  conclusion  may 
be  personal,  it  may  appear  invidious,  but  it  is  inevi- 
table: the  Pope  is  as  truly  Antichrist,  as  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  is  the  Christ. 


320         THE  PArACY  TROVED  TO  BE 


CHAPTER   XII. 


ANTICHRIST     A     REPROBATE 


By  reprobation,  we  mean  that  judgment  of  God  where- 
by some  men,  on  account  of  their  sin,  are  given  up  to 
a  course  of  presumptuous  wickedness  and  to  final  de- 
struction. Reprobation  refers  both  to  individuals,  and 
to  whole  classes  of  men.  Pharaoh  was  a  reprobate; 
for  this  is  what  is  meant  by  God's  "  hardening  his 
heart. "  Exod.  xiv.  4.  Judas  was  also  a  reprobate; 
hence  he  is  called  by  Christ,  "  the  son  of  perdition." 
John  xvii.  12.  The  Canaanites  were  reprobates; 
hence  they  were  doomed  by  God  to  utter  destruction. 
Deut.  vii.  The  apostle  Paul  also  represents  the  gen- 
tile world  generally,  as  in  a  state  of  reprobation. 
Rom.  i.  He  also  speaks  of  the  unbelieving  Jews  as 
in  a  similar  condition.  Rom.  xi.  Reprobation,  how- 
ever, as  applied  to  the  Jews  and  gentiles  in  these  pas- 
sages, refers  not  to  races,  but  to  generations  of  men. 
The  gentile  world  was  ultimately  brought,  under  the 
light  of  the  gospel,  and  multitudes  of  them  became  the 
children  of  God.  The  Jews  are  also  to  be  reclaimed; 
for  blindness  has  happened  to  them  only  "  in  part;" 
that  is,  for  a  certain  fixed  period.  The  reprobation, 
however,  of  Antichrist  is  of  a  worse  character.  Like 
Pharaoh,  like  Judas,  like  the  ancient  Canaanites,  his 
reprobation  is  unto  perdition.  Hence  he  is  called 
i  "the  son  of  perdition,"  2  Thess.  ii.  3;  and  is  said  to 
"go  into  perdition."  Rev.  xvii.  11.  We  are  not  to 
understand  by  this,  that  all  the  individuals  attached  to 
this  Antichrist ian  system  will  perish.  By  no  means. 
As  the  apostle  Paul  said  of  his  Jewish  brethren,  even 
so  say  we  of  Papists,  that  "  there  is  a  remnant  among 
them  according  to  the  election  of  grace."    Rom.  xi.  5. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  321 

"The  apostle,"  says  Dr.  Hill,  "is  not  to  be  under- 
stood as  meaning,  by  the  strong  expressions  he  has 
subjoined  to  this  prophecy,  that  all  who  ever  believed 
the  errors  of  Popery  are  certainly  damned.  We  be- 
lieve that  many  worthy,  pious  men,  by  the  prejudices 
of  education  and  custom,  have  been  so  confirmed  in 
doctrines,  which  we  know  to  be  erroneous,  as  to  be 
unable  to  extricate  themselves."*  Still,  however,  the 
errors  of  Antichrist  are  so  radically  subversive  of  the 
gospel,  the  whole  system  is  so  extravagant  and  enor- 
mous, that  the  great  body  of  its  adherents  are  not  only 
given  up  of  God  now,  but  will  hereafter  suffer  his  se- 
vere wrath.  This  is  a  matter  of  express  and  positive 
prediction — "and  for  this  cause  God  shall  send  them 
strong  delusion,  that  they  should  believe  a  lie;  that 
they  all  may  be  damned,  who  believed  not  the  truth, 
but  had  pleasure  in  unrighteousness."  2  Thess  ii. 
11,  12. 

Reprobation,  so  far  as  it  is  accomplished  in  this  life, 
relates  to  the  mind,  the  heart,  the  will,  the  conscience 
and  the  actions  of  men.  In  his  description  of  it  in 
Rom.  i.,  the  Apostle  represents  God  as  giving  men  up 
to  "  a  reprobate  mind  ;"  to  "  vile  affections  ;"  and  to 
"do  those  things  which  are  not  convenient."  In 
1  Tim.  iv.  2,  he  also  includes  in  reprobation,  "a  seared 
conscience;"  and  in  Rom.  ix.  18,  a  hardened  heart, 
or  powerful  self-will.  These  are  apt,  all  of  them,  to 
follow  each  other  in  regular  order.  Where  the  mind 
is  "  reprobate,"  the  affections  will  be  "vile;"  where 
the  conscience  is  "  seared,"  the  will  will  be  stubborn ; 
and  where  all  these  exist,  the  actions  will  be  wicked. 
What  a  catalogue  of  crimes  arises  from  a  fountain 
like  this,  any  one  may  learn,  by  reading  the  latter  part 
of  the  first  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans. 

The  reprobation  of  Antichrist  is  contained  in  these 
words — "and  for  this  cause,  God  shall  send  them 
strong  delusion  (tve^ysiav  rtxavqs)  that  they  should  be- 
lieve a  lie."  Macknight  renders  the  passage  thus  : 
"And  for  this  cause  God  will  send  to  them  the  strong- 

*  Divinity,  716. 

28* 


322         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

working  of  error  to  their  believing  a  lie."  Doddridge 
paraphrases  it  thus — "  God  will  in  righteous  judg- 
ment give  them  up  to  a  reprobate  and  insensible 
mind,  and  will  send  upon  them  the  energy  of  deceit ; 
he  will  suffer  them  to  deceive  others,  till  they  are 
themselves  deceived,  so  that  they  shall  believe  the  lie 
they  have  so  long  ta  light."  The  expression  is  remark- 
ably strong  ;  and  it  teaches,  that  those  who  are  in- 
volved in  this  judicial  sentence  of  God,  will  be  buried 
in  an  almost  hopeless  delusion. 

We  have  already  shown  that  the  previous  part 
of  these  predictions  refers  to  the  Papacy.  Of  course 
then  this  passage  must  have  the  same  application. 
Nor  will  it  be  found  upon  examination,  that  other 
features  in  this  system  of  evil  have  been  better  de- 
scribed by  the  apostle  than  that  of  its  actual  reproba- 
tion. God  has  sent  upon  the  champions  and  abettors 
of  this  system  "  strong  delusion,"  and  there  can  be 
but  little  doubt,  that  they  have  been  permitted  to  be- 
lieve "  a  lie." 

1.  The  first  mark  of  reprobation  is,  a  darkened  or 
reprobate  mind.  The  evidence  which  the  apostle*  gives 
of  the  existence  of  such  a  state  of  mind,  is  idolatry. 
"  Professing  themselves  to  be  wise,  they  changed  the 
glory  of  the  incorruptible  God  into  an  image  made 
like  to  corruptible  man."  Now  whatever  plea  Papists 
may  employ  for  using  in  their  acts  of  worship  images 
of  the  saints,  and  even  of  Christ,  there  certainly  can 
be  no  apology  for  representations  of  the  "  incorrupt- 
ible God."  But  they  do  make  and  tolerate  such 
images  even  of  the  Deity  himself.  "  When  the  Deity 
is  thus  represented,"  says  a  decree  of  Trent,  "  it  is  not 
to  be  supposed  that  the  same  can  be  seen  by  our 
bodily  eyes,  or  that  a  likeness  of  God  can  be  given  in 
colour  or  figure."*  The  catechism  uses  the  following 
language: — "  To  represent  the  persons  of  the  Holy 
Trinity  by  certain  forms,  under  which,  as  we  read  in 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  they  deigned  to  appear, 
is  not  to  be  deemed  contrary  to  religion  or  the  law  of 

*  Sessio  xxv. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  323 

God."*  Peter  Dens  also  asks  the  following  question: 
"  Are  images  of  God,  and  of  the  most  Holy  Trinity, 
proper?"  The  answer  given  is — "Yes:  although  this 
is  not  so  certain  as  concerning  the  images  of  Christ 
and  the  saints  ;  as  this  was  determined  at  a  later  pe- 
riod." t  Here  then,  are  three  respectable  witnesses, 
yea,  standard  authorities,  proving  that  the  church  of 
Rome  does  "change  the  glory  of  the  incorruptible 
God  into  an  image  made  like  to  corruptible  man." 
Now,  Paul  declares,  that  such  conduct  is  evidence 
of  a  darkened  mind,  and  that  it  is  a  characteristic  fea- 
ture in  God's  judicial  reprobation.  As  certain  then,  as 
that  Rome  sanctions  this  gross  idolatry,  is  it  that  she 
is  reprobate  in  mind. 

2.  Another  mark  of  reprobation  is  vile  affections. 
"Wherefore  God  also  gave  them  up  to  uncleanness, 
through  the  lusts  of  their  own  hearts,  to  dishonour 
their  own  bodies."  Probably  no  three  causes  have 
ever  led  to  more  fearful  scenes  of  licentiousness,  than 
monasticism,  nunneries,  and  the  celibacy  of  the  Ro- 
man clergy.  And  if  to  these  causes  we  add  the  virtual 
subversion  of  the  law  of  God  by  the  Papacy,  and 
the  facilities  of  absolution,  and  even  of  indulgences, 
we  shall  at  least  see  a  machinery  at  work,  which  un- 
der ordinary  circumstances,  would  inevitably  lead  to 
fearful  results ;  and  if  we  are  to  credit  history,  and 
especially  the  testimonies  of  many,  who  have  them- 
selves been  behind  the  curtains,  our  inferences  will 
scarcely  reach  the  realities  that  occur  under  this  dread- 
ful system  of  delusion.  Those  who  may  wish  to 
know  more  on  these  subjects,  we  refer  to  Peter  Dens, 
"  De  Pollutione,"  &c,  to  the  narratives  of  Gavin,  "the 
Confessions  of  a  Catholic  priest;"  and  other  works  of 
a  like  nature.  They  will  here  find  specimens  of  "  vile 
affections,"  strong  enough  certainly,  to  show  that  this 
feature  of  reprobation  is  not  wanting  in  the  papal 
system. 

3.  A  third  mark  of  reprobation  is  great  perversity 
of  will,  an  invincible  adherence  to  error.     This  is  the 

*  Catechism,  p.  360.  t  Chap,  xxxiii. 


324  THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

cardinal  feature,  in  the  reprobation,  predicted  of  An- 
tichrist. "  And  for  this  cause,  God  shall  send  them 
strong  delusion,  that  they  should  believe  a  lie."  Nor 
can  there  be  found  on  earth,  a  people  more  fixedly 
set  in  their  errors  and  superstitions,  than  papists.  This 
is  the  boast  of  their  church.  And  even,  when  con- 
tradicted by  innumerable  facts,  they  still  repeat  in  tri- 
umph the  adage, "  Once  a  Catholic,  always  a  Catholic." 
To  any  one  who  considers  the  papal  system,  and  who 
reflects  upon  the  mode  of  education  employed  by  Ro- 
manists, such  rigid  adherence  to  their  system  can  be 
readily  accounted  for:  indeed,  it  is  wonderful,  that 
any  of 'them  are  ever  converted.  They  are  born  and 
raised  behind  walls  of  error  heaven-high.  How  then 
are  they  to  escape  ?  This  very  boast  however,  of  pa- 
pists, is  but  another  indelible  feature  of  their  judicial 
reprobation.  If  their  system  held  them  with  a  less 
grasp  —  if  there  were  only  a  little  liberty  granted, 
there  might  be  some  hope.  But  "the  strong  delusion" 
is  upon  them;  and  God  only  can  so  far  remove  it,  as 
to  call  some  of  his  elect,  even  from  these  iron  walls  of 
Satan. 

4.  A  fourth  sign  of  reprobation  is  a  seared  con- 
science— "  Having  their  conscience  seared  with  a  hot 
iron."  Conscience  has  more  or  less  restraint  upon 
most  men.  It  often  makes  even  the  daring  trans- 
gressor quail  beneath  its  just  and  retributive  scourges. 
But  human  nature  may  proceed  to  that  degree  of 
wickedness,  that  even  conscience  will  neither  upbraid 
nor  admonish.  This  is  always  the  case  under  God's 
fearful  sentence  of  judicial  reprobation.  A  long  course 
of  sin,  like  iron,  heated  seven  times,  sears  the  sensi- 
bilities of  this  inward  monitor,  and  destroys  its  power 
of  vital  action.  No  condition  of  the  soul  is  worse 
than  this;  yet,  this  is  the  predicted  state  of  conscience 
in  Antichrist.  And  what  conscience,  pray,  have  the 
leading  actors  of  the  Papacy  had,  for  centuries  on 
centuries  past?  Can  there  be  any  conscience  in  men 
who  openly  set  aside  the  revealed  authority  of 
Jehovah  ?  Any  conscience,  where  a  mere  man  is  made 
to  exercise  the  prerogatives  of  the  Son  of  God  ?  Any 


THE   ANTICHRIST.  325 

conscience,  where  the  most  barefaced  idolatry  is  set 
up  under  the  sanctions  of  Christianity?  Any  con- 
science, where  every  sort  of  fraud  is  used  to  obtain 
the  money  of  poor  deluded  mortals?  Any  conscience, 
where  men  are  deliberately  seized,  and  tortured,  and 
killed,  in  the  name  of  Christ !  Any  conscience,  where 
crimes  of  the  blackest  dye  are  perpetrated  under  covert 
of  oaths,  and  vows,  and  the  mask  of  religion  ?  Surely, 
if  ever  conscience  were  "seared  with  a  hot  iron" — if 
it  were  ever  destroyed,  it  must  be  in  the  breasts  of 
such  men. 

5.  A  fifth  mark  of  reprobation  as  given  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, is  depraved  and  wicked  actions.  The  following 
is  a  list  of  those  actions  as  furnished  by  the  Apostle 
Paul.  "  Being  filled  with  all  unrighteousness,  fornica- 
tion, wickedness,  covetousness,  maliciousness;  full  of 
envy,  murder,  debate,  deceit,  malignity,  whisperers, 
backbiters,  haters  of  God,  despiteful,  proud,  boasters, 
inventors  of  evil  things, disobedient  to  parents;  with- 
out understanding,  covenant-breakers,  without  natu- 
ral affection,  implacable,  unmerciful."  How  far  the 
crimes,  here  specified  by  the  Apostle,  are  to  be  found 
amid  papal  influences  and  institutions,  let  those  judge 
who  are  best  acquainted  with  this  system  of  priest- 
craft and  oppression.  Some  of  these  crimes  are  writ- 
ten upon  the  front  of  Popery  in  bold  relief.  Among 
these  are  the  following — covetousness,  malignity,  mur- 
der, deceit,  boasting,  inventing  of  evil  things,  disobe- 
dience to  parents,  covenant-breaking,  and  unmerci- 
ful ness.  With  these  sins  the  history  of  the  Papacy 
abounds. 

Thus  have  we  discovered  in  the  Papacy,  all  the 
marks  of  God's  judicial  reprobation.  The  understand- 
ing has  here  been  darkened,  the  heart  given  up  to 
vile  affections,  the  will  has  been  rendered  stubborn, 
the  conscience  has  been  seared,  and  the  life  filled  with 
unrighteous  deeds.  But  is  this  reprobation  to  be 
final  ?  Is  there  to  be  no  reformation,  no  return  to  right 
principles?  The  prophecies  answer  these  questions  in 
the  negative.  Antichrist  is  "  the  son  of  perdition" — 
the  "  Lord  is  to  consume  him  with  the  spirit  of  his 


326         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

mouth,  and  to  destroy  him  with  the  brightness  of  his 
coming."  When  too,  we  consider  the  actual  state  of 
Popery,  we  discover  in  it  those  fixed  elements  which 
at  once  render  the  hope  of  reformation  fruitless,  and 
ultimate  destruction  inevitable.  Popery  itself,  as  well 
as  prophecy  concerning  it,  declares,  that  it  is  to  be 
destroyed,  not  reformed. 

If  Popery  be  ever  reformed,  such  reformation  must 
arise  from  one  of  three  sources — it  must  either  originate 
in  the  system  itself,  or  it  must  arise  from  without  that 
system,  or  it  must  come  from  heaven. 

1.  Such  reformation  cannot  arise  from  within  the 
system  of  Popery  itself.  The  principles,  the  very 
frame-work  of  this  system  are  such,  that  its  reforma- 
tion is  utterly  impossible.  True,  Papists  may  be 
more  moral  in  one  age  than  in  another,  they  may  be 
less  superstitious  in  some  countries  than  in  others,  and 
there  may  be  made  some  external  and  unimportant 
changes  in  some  of  its  ceremonies  and  customs;  but  a 
radical  and  thorough  reformation,  such  as  the  word  of 
God  requires,  never  can  be  made  in  it,  without  the 
abandonment  of  the  whole  system.  Take  its  funda- 
mental doctrine,  that  the  Pope  is  the  vicar  of  Christ 
on  earth.  How  can  this  article  be  changed,  so  as  to 
agree  with  Scripture,  without  destroying  the  very  ful- 
crum of  the  papal  system?  Take  the  doctrine  of  tran- 
substantiation.  How  can  this  creed  be  reformed,  but 
by  denying  the  doctrine  itself?  Look  at  the  doctrines 
of  purgatory,  of  absolutions,  of  indulgences.  What 
reformation  can  be  made  with  respect  to  these,  but  to 
renounce  them?  Consider  the  whole  system  of  saint 
and  image  worship.  How  can  this  be  reformed?  In 
no  manner  whatever.  It  can  only  be  abandoned. 
What  are  we  to  say,  too,  of  its  traditions  and  seven 
sacraments?  How  are  they  to  be  reformed?  They 
cannot  be.  What  is  here  needed  is  a  forsaking  of  the 
ground  taken  by  Romanists.  And  so  throughout. 
The  position  assumed  by  the  church  of  Rome,  ensures 
the  destruction  of  that  church,  in  one  or  the  other  of 
two  ways.  Either  its  advocates,  as  Luther  and  the 
Reformers,  must  forsake  the  establishment,  and  thus 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  327 

let  it  perish,  by  desertion,  or  they  must  adhere  to  it, 
till  God  shall  vindicate  the  rights  of  his  own  truth  and 
name.  Many,  no  doubt,  will  pursue  the  former  me- 
thod; but  the  body  will  perish  with  the  system. 

2.  Nor  can  the  Papacy  be  reformed  from  any  thing 
without  itself.  Even  in  the  freest  countries  on  the 
globe,  the  Papacy  is  a  consolidated  and  isolated  sys- 
tem. Its  arms  of  iron  grasp  all  its  own  interests  with- 
in itself,  and  it  seeks  seclusion  from  all  others.  Civil 
governments  can  have  but  little  influence  in  changing 
its  character.  Older  than  all  modern  systems  of  civil 
polity,  compactly  framed  together,  claiming  even  su- 
periority above  the  state,  Popery  receives  upon  its 
indurated  exterior  the  influences  of  civil,  government, 
as  the  massy  rock  does  the  passing  stream:  such  waves 
come,  meet,  are  broken  to  pieces  and  fall  backward, 
leaving  the  unmoved  rock  still  cold  and  fixed  on  its 
original  basis.  Noi  can  Popery  be  reformed  from  the 
influence  of  Protestant  churches.  There  is  literally 
"  a  great  gulf  fixed"  between  it  and  them.  It  is  not 
only  forbidden  to  other  ministers  to  enter  a  popish 
pulpit,  but  even  their  members  are  forbidden  to  enter 
the  doors  of  other  churches.  Nor  can  Popery  be  re- 
formed by  the  Bible; — that  word  is  itself  a  prisoner 
within  the  iron  walls  of  this  dreadful  system.  Nor 
can  Popery  be  reformed  by  the  circulation  of  tracts 
and  books; — all  tracts  and  books, containing  any  thing 
contrary  to  its  own  system,  are  strictly  forbidden  in 
their  Index  Expurgatorius.  When  a  pope  can  say, 
even  in  relation  to  the  circulation  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures— "  Bible  societies  fill  me  with  horror;  they  tend 
to  overthrow  the  Christian  religion;  they  are  a  pest 
which  must  be  destroyed  by  all  possible  means:"* 
when  even  a  pope  can  speak  thus,  and  speak  thus  of 
the  Bible,  what  hope  can  we  have  for  Papists  in  the 
circulation  of  books?  True,  individuals  may  thus  be 
converted ;  but  the  Papacy  will  remain  unchanged. 
Nor  can  philosophy  and  science  reform  the  Papacy;  if 
so,  the  doctrine  of  transubstantiation  had  long  ago  been 

*  Letter  of  Pope  Pius  VII.  to  Guesen,  Primate  of  Poland,  dated 
1816. 


328         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

renounced  as  nnphilosophical  and  absurd.  Nor  can 
the  general  intercourse  of  other  Christians,  and  of  citi- 
zens generally,  reform  the  papal  system.  All  this  is 
counteracted  by  the  confessional,  whose  province  it  is 
to  guard  the  entrance-doors  of  heresy  and  change. 

Thus  is  there  no  external  source,  from  which  influ- 
ences may  come,  to  reform  this  monstrous  system  of 
error  and  tyranny.  A  stone  may  now  and  then  be 
removed  from  its  place  in  this  great  temple  of  error; 
occasionally  a  pillar  may  fall;  but  the  old  building 
stands,  sunk,  like  the  pyramids  of  Egypt,  in  the  sands 
of  its  own  superstitions,  venerable  for  age,  a  monu- 
ment of  oppression  and  of  pride;  the  gray  relic  of  the 
past,  the  wonder  of  the  present,  and  the  prophet  of 
the  future;  there  it  stands,  and  will  stand,  till  God 
shall  shake  the  earth,  and  thus,  by  his  power  dash  it 
to  pieces. 

3.  Nor  will  the  Papacy  be  reformed  from  heaven. 
The  conversion  of  the  gentiles  to  Christianity,  took 
place,  according  to  the  previous  decree  and  promise 
of  God.  Long  before  Peter  preached  to  Cornelius, 
had  the  Spirit  of  God  said  concerning  the  Messiah, 
"  I  will  give  thee  for  a  covenant  of  the  people,  for  a 
light  of  the  gentiles."  Isa.  xii.  6.  And  the  ingather- 
ing of  Israel  to  the  same  Messiah,  which  is  yet  to 
take  place,  is  also  included  in  the  purposes  of  God. 
Rom.  xi.  But  the  decrees  and  purposes  of  God,  con- 
cerning Antichrist,  have  no  such  promises  of  grace 
and  mercy.  Here  the  cloud  is  without  a  bow,  the 
night  without  a  star.  "And  a  mighty  angel  took  up 
a  stone  like  a  great  mill-stone,  and  cast  it  into  the  sea, 
saying,  Thus  with  violence  shall  that  great  city  Baby- 
lon be  thrown  down,  and  shall  be  found  no  more  at 
all."  Rev.  xviii.  21.  Utter  destruction  is  to  be  the 
end  of  this  system,  and  of  all  who  adhere  to  it.  As 
Sodom  and  Gomorrha,  the  old  world  and  the  Canaan- 
ites,were  all  made  so  many  examples  of  the  righteous 
judgments  of  God,  so  will  it  be  with  Rome.  Unre- 
formed,  and  unreformable,  she  will  go  "into  destruc- 
tion," to  meet  the  solemn  doom  from  that  righteous 
Judge,  whose  truth  she  has  despised,  whose  name 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  329 

and  authority  she  has  trampled  under  foot,  and  whose 
"glorious  gospel"  she  has  made  but  the  theatre  of  her 
pride,  her  avarice,  and  her  various  abominations. 

Here,  then,  is  another  mark  of  Antichrist,  deeply 
branded  upon  the  forehead  of  the  Papacy.  Antichrist 
was  to  be  a  reprobate,  given  up  of  God  to  a  course  of 
the  most  presumptuous  wickedness,  and  doomed  to 
ultimate  destruction.  The  Papacy,  we  have  seen,  is 
reprobate,  and  its  advocates  are  under  "strong  delu- 
sion;" they  believe  "a  lie,"  and  seem  to  be  left  of 
God  to  wander  in  the  mazes  of  superstition  and  error, 
to  that  fearful  doom  which  is  before  them.  From 
that  doom,  with  which  the  body  is  to  meet,  may  God 
by  his  grace,  avert  the  wandering  feet  of  many  a 
poor,  benighted  victim  of  this  unnatural  and  unchris- 
tian system ! 


29 


330         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


THE    DOWNFALL   OF    ANTICHRIST. 


Prophecy  never  leaves  the  church  in  despair.  What- 
ever evils  it  may  foretell,it  always  represents  them  as  in 
the  hand  of  God,  and  as  overruled  by  him  to  ultimate 
good.  Hence,  it  predicts  not  only  the  rise  and  char- 
acter of  evil  powers,  but  also  their  overthrow.  This 
rule  has  special  application  to  Antichrist.  The  holy  pro- 
phets of  old  saw  this  power  arise;  they  saw  it  arroga- 
ting to  itself  all  dominion  and  rule;  they  saw  it  tram- 
pling upon  the  earth,  and  destroying  the  saints;  they 
saw  it  arrayed  in  purple  and  enriched  with  jewels.  But 
the  Spirit  carried  their  minds  further,  and  revealed  to 
them  its  utter  destruction,  and  the  subsequent  triumph 
of  the  glorious  kingdom  of  the  Son  of  God.  Indeed, 
the  prophets,  like  ancient  Israel,  seem  to  have  been 
travelling  through  a  dreary  wilderness,  while  wander- 
ing over  the  domains  of  the  man  of  sin,  only,  that  they 
might  rest  themselves,  and  teach  the  church  to  rest 
in  that  promised  country — that  Immanuel's  land — ■ 
which  lay  beyond  those  barren  wastes.  Their  pro- 
phecies ultimately  terminate  in  Christ,  and  are  lost 
only  in  the  blaze  of  his  everlasting  reign. 

1.  In  predicting  the  downfall  of  Antichrist,  the  sa- 
cred prophets  teach  us,  first,  who  is  to  be  its  author. 
This  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  "Whom,"  says  Paul, 
"  the  Lord  shall  consume  with  the  Spirit  of  his  mouth, 
and  shall  destroy  with  the  brightness  of  his  coming." 
John  also  declares — "  These  (the  beast  and  his  allies) 
shall  make  war  with  the  Lamb,  aud  the  Lamb  shall 
overcome  them:  for  he  is  Lord  of  lords  and  King  of 
kings;  and  they  that  are  with  him,  are  called,  and 
chosen,  and  faithful."  Rev.  xvii.  14.     Daniel  also  re- 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  331 

fers  to  the  same  thing,  when  he  speaks  of  "  one  like 
the  Son  of  man,"  receiving  at  the  overthrow  of  the 
« little  horn,"  dominion,  and  glory,  and  a  kingdom, 
that  all  people,  nations,  and  languages  should  serve 
him.  Dan.  vii.  14.  The  great  adversary,  then,  of 
Antichrist  is  Christ  himself.  True,  the  Son  of  God, 
for  wise  purposes,  has  permitted  Antichrist  to  usurp 
great  authority;  he  has  suffered  him,  for  along  period, 
to  trample  upon  his  truth,  and  to  persecute  his  church. 
But  the  day  of  vengeance  will  come  at  last,  when  he 
shall  receive  double  for  all  his  pride  and  wickedness, 
and  when  the  insulted  Redeemer  will  pour  upon  him 
the  just  retaliation  of  that  wrath,  with  which  he  has 
been  anathematizing  the  saints  of  the  Most  High. 

2.  While,  however,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  to  be 
the  immediate  author  of  the  overthrow  of  Antichrist, 
still  here,  as  elsewhere,  he  will  employ  various  instru- 
ments for  that  purpose.  The  first  of  these  instruments 
will  be  his  own  glorious  gospel.  "Whom  the  Lord 
shall  consume  with  the  spirit  of  his  mouth" — (*to  Ttvw- 
y.ati  rov  atopa-tos  avtov.)  Macknight  renders  the  pas- 
sage thus — "Him  the  Lord  will  consume  by  the  breath 
of  his  mouth;"  and  remarks,  "so  Ttvsv/xa  should  be 
translated  in  this  passage,  where  the  preaching  of  true 
doctrine,  and  its  efficacy  in  destroying  the  man  of  sin, 
are  predicted." 

The  errors  of  Popery  arose,  for  the  most  part,  in  times 
of  great  ignorance.  And  as  from  their  very  nature  they 
could  not  stand  the  light,  it  became  the  settled  policy 
of  Romish  ecclesiastics,  to  exclude  that  light  as  much 
as  possible  from  the  minds  of  men.  The  conversion 
of  the  preacher  into  the  priest,  the  saying  of  mass  in 
the  stead  of  proclaiming  salvation,  the  invention  of 
numerous  and  burdensome  ceremonies,  the  introduc- 
tion of  saint  and  image  worship,  and  especially  the 
interdicts  placed  upon  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures; 
all  these  were  so  many  means  invented  by  crafty  men, 
to  shut  out  the  light  of  the  gospel  from  the  dupes  of 
this  dreadful  delusion.  Now,  the  remedy,  and  the 
only  remedy  for  evils  of  this  nature,  is  the  general 
diffusion  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  and  their  glorious  doc- 


332         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

trines,  through  all  those  countries  where  these  delu- 
sions exist.  This  is  the  first  step;  and  it  is  that  which 
God  usually  employs  first  in  the  overturning  of  the 
kingdom  of  darkness.  Previous  to  the  overthrow  of 
Judaism,  as  a  system  of  error,  an  unusual  amount  of 
light  was  poured  upon  the  national  mind.  John, 
Christ,  the  apostles,  all  laboured,  and  the  most  of 
them  died  i»  this  work.  A  chosen  number  were  thus 
called  out,  from  the  great  body  of  the  nation,  in  whom 
the  succession  of  truth  was  to  continue,  and  a  fuller 
vindication  was  thus  given  to  the  providence  of  God, 
in  the  overthrow  and  dispersion  of  the  rest.  Christ 
could  thus  say,  without  the  possibility  of  contradic- 
tion, "This  is  the  condemnation,  that  light  has  come 
into  the  world,  and  men  loved  .darkness  rather  than 
light  because  their  deeds  were  evil." 

It  was,  too,  by  this  means  primarily  and  chiefly, 
that  the  Reformation  from  Popery  in  the  sixteenth 
century  occurred.  A  few  individuals,  by  the  Spirit 
of  God  became  experimentally  acquainted  with  the 
truth  of  God's  word.  This  truth  they  began  to  pro- 
claim to  others.  This  truth,  by  the  translation  of  the 
Scriptures  into  the  language  of  each  nation,  they 
placed  in  the  hands  of  others.  This  truth,  in  every 
possible  way,  they  defended  and  maintained;  and  for 
it  many  of  them  were  carried  to  the  stake,  or  perished 
in  dungeons. 

There  can  be  but  little  doubt,  therefore,  that  in  the 
final  overthrow  of  the  Papacy,  the  word  of  God  will 
precede  all  other  agents.  And  is  not  this  word  going 
forth  at  the  present  time?  Are  not  Bible  Societies 
and  their  agents,  missionaries  and  their  assistants, 
publishing  and  scattering  the  word  even  within  the 
dominions  of  the  Pope?  Is  not  this  word,  too,  pro- 
ducing its  effects?  Like  its  Author,  has  it  not  already 
begun  to  "purge  the  papal  floor,  gathering  the  wheat 
into  the  garner,  and  preparing  the  chaff  to  be  burnt 
with  unquenchable  fire?"  Go  forth,  thou  mighty  in- 
strument of  the  Lord,  thou  forerunner  of  his  power, 
thou  leveler  of  the  nations ;  go  forth,  and  accomplish 
thine  own  most  glorious  work! 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  333 

It  is  evident,  however,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  will 
employ  other,  and  more  coercive  instruments  in  the 
overthrow  of  Popery.  The  Romans  were  employed  to 
disperse  the  Jews;  Constantine  was  called  forth  to  up- 
root paganism;  Frederick,  the  Elector  of  Saxony,  the 
Landgrave  of  Hesse,  Henry  VIII.,  and  other  Euro- 
pean princes,  were  also  employed  to  protect  and 
extend  the  great  Reformation.  Thus  is  fulfilled  the 
word  of  Isaiah,  "kings  shall  be  thy  nursing  fathers, 
and  queens  thy  nursing  mothers."  Indeed,  it  would 
seem  but  a  just  retaliation,  that  as  Antichrist  has  em- 
ployed the  civil  powers  to  persecute  and  destroy  the 
Church,  so  God,  in  his  providence,  should  also  use 
the  same  instruments  to  afflict  and  overturn  his  un- 
righteous administration. 

We  are,  however,  not  left  to  conjecture  on  this  sub- 
ject. "  But  the  judgment  shall  sit,"  says  Daniel,  "  and 
they  shall  take  away  his  dominion,  to  consume  and  de- 
stroy it  unto  the  end."  (vii.  26.)  Gesenius  understands 
by  the  word  R**j  (dhinaa),  not  judgment,  but  judges; 
"  but  the  judges  shall  sit."  The  reference  evidently 
is  to  those  cabinets  or  councils,  which  European 
princes  were  to  assemble  in  opposition  to  the  preten- 
sions of  the  Pope.  Some  such  councils  have  already 
been  held,  and  by  means  of  them,  several  states  ori- 
ginally papal,  are  now  protestant,  and  seem  destined 
so  to  remain.  But  others  will  yet  be  held,  whose  re- 
sults will  be  still  more  decisive  and  overpowering  to 
the  dominions  of  the  Man  of  Sin;  for  Daniel  declares 
that  his  dominion  will  thus  be  "consumed  and  de- 
stroyed to  the  end." 

If,  however,  any  doubt  should  remain,  as  to  the 
agency  of  European  princes  in  the  destruction  of  the 
Papacy,  it  will  be  enough  to  remove  such  doubt,  to 
refer  to  the  testimony  of  John : — "And  the  ten  horns 
which  thou  sawest  upon  the  beast,  these  shall  hate 
the  whore,  and  shall  make  her  desolate  and  naked, 
and  shall  eat  her  flesh  and  burn  her  with  fire." 
Rev.  xvii.  16.  The  beast  here  alluded  to,  is  pa- 
pal, or  rather  political  Europe ;  its  horns  the  sover- 
eigns of  the  several  Europeau  states ;  and  the  whore, 

29* 


334         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

the  Romish  church,  which  by  forsaking  Christ  and 
worshipping  idols,  has  become  like  an  adulterous 
woman,  who  has  departed  from  her  own  husband  to 
seek  other  lovers.  These  horns,  says  John,  that  is, 
these  kings,  shall  hate  the  whore,  that  is  the  papal 
church,  and  shall  make  her  desolate. 

It  is  then  among  the  decrees  of  heaven,  that  the 
princes  of  Europe  are  to  be  the  agents  whom  God  will 
employ  in  overturning  and  utterly  destroying  the 
papal  power.  A  sort  of  friendship  may  be  main- 
tained between  these  princes  and  the  Autocrat  of 
Rome ;  toleration  may  for  a  time  be  given  to  papal 
doctrines,  the  armistice  of  centuries  may  continue  a 
little  longer.  But  when  "the  words  of  God  are  ful- 
filled," that  is,  when  the  prophetic  period  of  twelve 
hundred  and  sixty  years  shall  have  expired,  there 
will  be  a  crisis,  a  tremendous  crisis.  Antichrist  will 
then  put  on  all  the  remainder  of  his  strength;  he  will 
call  to  his  aid  those  that  are  still  devoted  to  his  cause; 
he  will  use  stratagem  and  deceit.  But  all  in  vain ; 
for  the  battle  will  be  the  Lord's  ;  and  the  triumph  of 
Antichrist  will  be  forever  destroyed.  It  is  supposed 
by  many  expositors,  that  it  is  this  scene  which  is  de- 
scribed in  Rev.  xiv.  19,  20:  "And  the  angel  thrust  in 
his  sickle  into  the  earth,  and  gathered  the  vine  of  the 
earth,  and  cast  it  into  the  great  wine-press  of  the 
wrath  of  God.  And  the  wine-press  was  trodden 
without  the  city,  and  blood  came  out  of  the  wine- 
press, even  unto  the  horses'  bridles,  by  the  space  of  a 
thousand  six  hundred  furlongs."  When  God  over- 
threw the  Jews,  it  so  happened,  that  they  were  for 
the  most  part,  within  their  capital.  The  destruction 
was  thus  more  complete  and  sudden.  So  will  it  be 
with  Antichrist,  only  a  far  more  dreadful  scene  will 
follow.  Driven  probably,  from  post  to  post,  the  delu- 
ded advocates  of  this  system,  will,  at  last,  plant  them- 
selves upon  the  strictly  papal  territory.  Rome  will 
be  their  head-quarters.  That  city,  however,  will  not 
only  be  captured  but  burnt,  while  a  scene  of  slaughter 
will  follow,  truly  dreadful  to  behold.  It  was  not 
easily,  that  the   bigoted  son  of  Abraham  yielded  to 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  335 

the  Roman  arm;  and  it  certainly  will  not  be  easily, 
that  the  proud  vicegerent  of  Christ,  the  successor  of 
apostles,  the  head  of  the  church,  the  sovereign  of 
kings — it  will  not  be  easily,  that  he  and  his  followers 
will  resign  their  high  pretensions.  Resign  them,  how- 
ever, they  must  and  will — "for  strong  is  the  Lord 
God  who  will  judge  them." 

3.  The  Scriptures  also  teach  the  manner  in  which 
Antichrist  shall  fall.  He  is  to  fall  gradually,but  utterly. 
"And  they  shall  take  away  his  dominion,"  says 
Daniel,  "to  consume,  and  to  destroy  it  unto  the  end." 
The  Vulgate  renders  the  latter  part  of  the  passage  thus, 
"ad  delendum  et  ad  perdendum  usque  in  flnem" — 
"for  consuming  and  destroying  it  even  to  the  end." 
The  two  cardinal  ideas  in  the  passage  are,  that  the 
power  of  Antichrist  is  to  be  destroyed  by  successive 
blows,  and  that  that  destruction  will  be  in  the  end 
complete.  The  destroying  agents  are  to  proceed  from 
destruction  to  destruction,  from,  uprooting  his  power 
at  one  post,  to  uprooting  it  at  another,  and  they  are  to 
continue  till  the  work  shall  have  been  finished.  The 
apostle  Paul  also,  in  the  passage  already  cited,  ex- 
presses himself  in  a  similar  manner.  "  The  word, 
ai/oxwcfft,  (consume)"  says  Chandler,  "is  used  to  de- 
note a  lingering,  gradual  destruction ;  being  applied 
to  the  waste  of  time,  the  dissipation  of  an  estate,  and 
to  the  slow  death  of  being  eaten  up  of  worms."  "If 
St.  John  and  St.  Paul,"  says  Benson,  "  have  prophe- 
sied of  the  same  corruptions,  it  should  seem,  that  the 
head  of  the  apostasy  will  be  destroyed  by  some  sig- 
nal judgment,  after  its  influence  or  dominion  hath, 
in  a  gradual  manner,  been  destroyed  by  the  force  of 
truth."*  In  the  sixteenth  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse 
we  have,  in  the  pouring  out  of  the  seven  vials, 
seven  periods,  or  gradations,  in  this  progressive  de- 
struction of  Antishrist. 

And  how  remarkably  have  these  predictions,  so 
far,  accorded  with  the  facts  !  The  papal  power  was 
at  its  zenith  in  the  thirteenth  century.     Every  event 

*  Macknight. 


336         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

almost  that  has  occurred  since  that  period,  has  tended 
to  its  gradual  subversion.     Among  the  causes  of  its 
decline,  Daunou  mentions  the  following.  "The  praise- 
worthy resistance  of  Louis  IX.,  the  firmness  of  Phiiip- 
le-Bel,  the  madness  of  Boniface  VIII.,  the  vices  of  the 
court  of  Avignon,  the  schism  of  the  west,  the  prag- 
matic sanction  of  Charles  VII.,  the  revival  of  learning, 
the  invention  of  printing,  the  nepotism  of  the  popes  of 
the  fifteenth  century,  the  bold  attacks  of  Sixtus  IV., 
the  crimes  of  Alexander  VI.,  the  ascendency  of  Charles 
V.,  the  progress  of  heresy*  in  Germany,  in  England, 
and  other  countries,   the  troubles  of  France  under 
Henry  II.,  the  wise  administration  of  Henry  IV.,  the 
Edict  of  Nantes,  the  Four  Articles  of  1682,  the  dissen- 
sions which  grew  out  of  the  formulary  of  Alexander 
VII.,  and  of  the  bull,  Unigenitus,  of  Clement  XI. ; 
finally,  the  senseless  enterprises  of  such  popes   as 
Benedict  XIII.,  Clement  XIII.,  and  some  other  pontiffs 
of  the  eighteenth  century."     The  same  author  adds : 
"  The  papal  power  cannot  survive  such  shame :  its 
hour  is  come,  and  it  remains  to  the  popes  only  to  be- 
come, as  they  were  during  the  first  seven  centuries, 
humble  pastors,  edifying  apostles.     It  is  a  dignity 
sufficiently  honourable. "t     Remarks  similar  to  these 
last,  were  made  by  Machiavelli  as  early  as  the  six- 
teenth century.  "  We  shall  see,"  says  he,  in  allusion 
to  his  history,  "  how  the  popes,  first  by  their  ecclesi- 
astical censures,  then  by  the  union  of  temporal  and 
spiritual  power,  and  lastly  by  indulgences,  contrived 
to  excite  the  veneration  and  terror  of  mankind:  we 
shall  also  see,  how,  by  making  an  ill  use  of  that 
terror  and  reverence,  they  have  entirely  lost  the  one, 
and  lie  at  the  discretion  of  the  world  for  the  other."J 
There  can  be  but  little  doubt,  that  this  celebrated  his- 
torian has  specified  the  primary  cause  of  the  over- 
throw of  papal  tyranny.     That  tyranny  became  itself 
so  burdensome,  that  a  change  was  demanded  for  the 
security,  if  not  for  the  very  existence  of  society. 
In  the  latter  part  of  the  fourteenth  century,  Wick- 

*  Reformation.        t  Court  of  Rome,  254.        \  Hist.  Flor.  p.  S3. 


THE    ANTICHRIST.  337 

Jiffe  commenced  his  opposition  to  the  Pope.  In  the 
early  part  of  the  fifteenth  century,  John  Huss  and 
Jerome  of  Prague  were  put  to  death  for  advocating 
his  sentiments.  A  century  after,  Luther  began  his 
great  work;  and  from  that  period  till  now,  a  uniform 
and  constant  resistance  has  been  given  by  several 
nations  of  Europe  to  papal  power.  It  is  true,  that 
some  things  have  happened  favourable  to  its  tempo- 
rary advancement.  The  organization  of  the  society 
of  Loyola  may  be  specified  as  the  principal  one.  But 
even  this  society,  by  its  dangerous  operation,  by  its 
pliable  morality,  by  its  very  prevalence — yea,  by  its 
crimes,  has  only  made  Popery  more  odious  in  the  eyes 
of  mankind.  Even  the  infidelity  of  France,  the 
French  revolution,  and  the  wars  of  Napoleon,  have 
all  tended  to  the  downfall  of  the  Papacy.  Thus  have 
the  moral  and  political  movements  in  Europe,  for 
five  centuries  past,  proceeded  ad  delendum  et  ad 
perdendum,  to  the  gradual  overthrow  of  the  papal 
power.  And  although  matters  have  not  as  yet  reach- 
ed, usque  in  Jinem,  to  its  entire  subversion;  yet  that 
result  cannot  be  very  far  distant. 

4.  The  precise  period  of  the  final  overthrow  of 
Antichrist,  is  predicted  in  the  Scriptures  in  such  a 
manner,  as  to  leave  the  calculations  of  even  the  best 
qualified  persons  in  some  doubt.  There  can  be  no 
question,  but  that  in  the  Divine  mind,  the  period  is 
accurately  fixed;  but  its  revelation  is  partially  ob- 
scure, as  all  such  revelations  usually  are  in  the  holy 
volume.  If  prophecy  were  perfectly  plain  in  all  its 
parts,  it  would  rather  be  history  than  prophecy.  If 
therefore  our  minds  cannot  know  precisely  "the  times 
which  the  Father  hath  put  in  his  own  power/'  we 
should  rejoice,  that  even  an  approximation  to  those 
times  may  be  reached  by  us.  In  the  mean  time,  we 
should  patiently  wait  and  hope  for  the  coming  of  the 
Son  of  Man. 

In  Daniel  vii.  25,  it  is  said,  the  saints  shall  be  given 
into  the  hand  of  the  "little  horn,"  until  "a  time  and 
times  and  the  dividing  of  time."  In  chap.  xii.  of  the 
same  prophecy,  the  wonders  seen  by  Daniel,  were  to 


338         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

end  at  the  expiration  of  "  a  time,  times  and  an  half, 
and  when  he  shall  have  accomplished  to  scatter  the 
power  of  the  holy  people,  all  these  things  shall  be 
finished. "  John  teaches  us  also,  that  "the  holy  city 
shall  be  trodden  under  foot  by  the  gentiles  forty  and 
two  months;"  (Rev.  xi.  2.,)  that  the  two  witnesses 
were  to  prophesy  clothed  in  sackcloth,  "a  thousand 
two-hundred  and  three-score  days,"  (verse  3) ;  the 
woman  also  who  fled  into  the  wilderness,  was  to  be 
nourished  there,  "a  thousand  two-hundred  and  three- 
score days,"  (xii.  6  ;)  or  for  "  a  time,  times  and  half 
a  time,"  (verse  14.)  The  beast  also  was  to  continue 
"forty  and  two  months,"  (xiii.  5.)  Here  are  no  less 
than  seven  times,  in  which  the  same  number  is  used, 
and  applied  substantially  to  the  same  event.  The  pe- 
riod noted  in  these  prophecies  is  1260  prophetic  days, 
that  is  1260  years.  Now,  if  we  could  only  ascertain 
the  precise  point  at  which  these  1260  years  began, 
there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  ascertaining  the  date 
of  their  termination.  Writers  on  prophecy,  however, 
beginning  at  different  periods,  end  also  at  different 
periods.  On  this  subject  we  refer  to  the  second  chap- 
ter of  this  work.  There  we  have  ventured  the  opinion, 
that  between  the  years  730  and  754 — that  is,  between 
the  overthrow  of  the  Exarchate  and  the  grant  of  Pe- 
pin, we  are  to  date  the  rise  of  the  Papacy,  as  a  po- 
litical power.  Daunou  fixes  it  in  the  year  800;  he 
admits  however,  that  before  this,  the  Popes  did  exer- 
cise a  power  that  was  at  least  "efficient,"  if  not  "in- 
dependent." Machiavelli  dates  the  papal  power  from 
the  subversion  of  the  Exarchate:  or  at  least,  from  the 
time  that  the  Exarchate  fell  into  the  possession  of  the 
Popes.  His  language  is— "No  more  Exarchs  were 
sent  from  Constantinople  to  Ravenna,  which  was  af- 
terwards governed  by  the  will  of  the  Pope."*  Ac- 
cording to  this  calculation,  the  final  overthrow  of  the 
papal  power  will  take  place  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
next  century.  The  author  however,  does  not  insist 
upon  these  dates  as  correct.     It  may  occur  sooner,  it 

*  His.  FJor.  35. 


/  THE    ANTICHRIST.  339 

will  scarcely  be  delayed  later.  It  is  enough  to  know, 
that  the  work  of  gradual  subversion  is  now  in  pro- 
gress ;  and  that  the  final  catastrophe,  will  take  place 
ere  long.     "  Amen,  even  so,  come  Lord  Jesus." 

5.  The  result  of  the  overthrow  of  Antichrist  will  be, 
the  establishment  upon  earth  of  the  glorious  kingdom 
of  Christ.  "  And  the  kingdom  and  dominion,  and  the 
greatness  of  the  kingdom  under  the  whole  heaven, 
shall  be  given  to  the  people  of  the  saints  of  the  Most 
High ;  whose  kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom, 
and  all  dominions  shall  serve  and  obey  him."  Dan. 
vii.  27.  As* the  destruction  of  the  Jewish  temple  and 
the  dispersion  of  the  Jewish  nation,  were  to  precede 
the  universal  spread  of  the  gospel,  and  seemed  neces- 
sary to  its  general  reception,  so  the  overturning  of  this 
nominally  Christian,  but  really  antichristian  power, 
appears  to  be  demanded  in  the  providence  of  God,  to 
the  general  enlightenment  of  the  world.  Nothing,  too, 
especially  in  Europe,  can  possibly  be  conceived  of, 
more  favourable  to  the  universal  triumphs  of  truth, 
than  such  an  event.  Were  the  Pope  displaced,  were 
Romanism  destroyed,  were  the  worship  of  saints  and 
relics  discontinued,  were  priestcraft  abolished,  how 
rapid,  how  glorious  would  be  the  flight  of  the  true 
gospel !  How  would  the  nations  welcome  it !  How 
would  a  liberated  world  bask  in  its  sun-beams!  There 
can,  too,  be  but  little  doubt,  that  the  manner  in  which 
the  Papacy  will  be  overthrown,  will  give  the  nations 
a  greater  relish  for  pure  doctrines.  This  power  is  yet 
to  exhibit  some  dreadful  deeds  of  oppression.  Its  iron 
yoke  will  yet  gall  more  deeply,  its  prisons  yet  groan 
more  dreadfully.  And  when  too,  God,  in  a  way  re- 
markably providential — in  a  way  to  be  seen  and 
known  of  all,  shall  so  interpose,  as  to  deliver  man- 
kind from  these,  the  last  struggles,  the  dying  efforts 
of  an  old  tyranny ;  how  sweet  upon  the  ear  will  fall 
the  notes  of  gospel  truth  !  How  precious  to  the  heart 
will  be  the  influences  of  gospel  grace  !  What  count- 
less multitudes  will  then  crowd  the  temples  of  salva- 
tion, and  what  marshalling  millions  will  then  bend 


340         THE  PAPACY  PROVED  TO  BE 

before  Him,  who  is  "the  Lord  of  lords,  and  King  of 
kings." 

Thus  will  the  downfall  of  Popery  be  the  signal  for 
the  universal  triumph  of  pure  Christianity.  "  The 
man  of  sin,"  will  thus  yield  to  the  Man  of  grace,  even 
Christ  our  Lord,  and  the  long  reign  of  wickedness  be 
supplanted  by  the  peaceable  and  righteous  kingdom 
of  the  Son  of  God.  Scattered  Israel  will,  in  the  mean 
time,  be  regathered,  and  Jew  and  gentile,  yea,  a  ran- 
somed world,  will  rejoice  in  him,  who  is  the  "Alpha 
and  the  Omega,  the  First  and  the  Last." 

Thus  have  we  attempted  to  prove,  from  its  location 
at  Rome,  from  the  time  of  its  rise,  from  the  peculiarity 
of  its  character,  from  its  apostasy,  from  its  idolatry, 
from  its  blasphemy,  from  its  innovations,  from  its  per- 
secutions, from  its  riches,  from  its  power,  from  its 
craft  and  pretended  miracles,  from  its  reprobation, 
and  even  from  its  begun  downfall,  that  the  Papacy  is 
the  Antichrist  predicted  in  the  word  of  God.  The 
very  same  kind  of  evidence,  derived  too  from  the 
same  source,  which  proves  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is 
the  Christ,  also  demonstrates  that  the  Papacy  is  the 
Antichrist.  The  two  sets  of  testimonies  stand  or  fall 
together.  The  prophecies  that  are  fulfilled  in  Jesus 
are  scarcely  more  numerous,  as  they  are  not  more  ex- 
plicit, than  those  fulfilled  in  the  Roman  hierarchy. 
The  light  of  heaven  marks  out  the  Roman  High 
Priest  as  Antichrist ;  it  converges  there,  and  if  it  finds 
not  there  its  object  and  completion,  it  is  difficult,  if 
not  impossible  to  prove  the  actual  fulfilment  of  any 
set  of  predictions  whatever.  We  do  not  affirm  that 
every  individual  pope  either  has  been  or  will  be 
lost.  Much  less  would  we  affirm,  that  all  who  are 
attached  to  this  dreadful  system  must  perish.  We 
leave  individual  men  in  the  hands  of  a  just  and  right- 
eous Judge.  He  knows  their  hearts,  and  will  reward 
them  according  to  their  works.  It  is  possible,  that 
even  in  Rome  itself,  there  may  be  a  "remnant  accord- 
ing to  the  election  of  grace."  The  Spirit  of  God  may 
pluck  souls  from  perdition,  even  under  the  hands  of 
Antichrist.     Many  too,  no  doubt  there  are  many  in 


THE  ANTICHRIST.  341 

America,  many  in  most  papal  countries,  who  are 
ignorant  of  the  real  nature  of  Popery.  They  see  only 
its  exterior;  they  have  not  examined  its  principles. 
The  condition  of  such  we  sincerely  pity;  and  we 
earnestly  pray,  that  the  God  of  grace  may  bring  them 
to  the  light.  It  is,  however,  the  papacy,  the  hierar- 
chy, the  priesthood  of  this  system,  that  we  designate  as 
Antichrist — that  we  have  proven  from  the  Scriptures 
to  be  Antichrist.  Just  so  far  as  this  hierarchical  in- 
fluence extends,  just  to  the  degree  to  which  its  essen- 
tial principles  go,  does  Antichrist  reign.  May  that 
influence  be  destroyed;  may  those  principles  perish; 
especially,  may  our  free  country  be  rescued  from  a 
system,  whose  dilapidated  tyranny  in  the  old  world, 
is  seeking  its  repairs  in  the  new. 


30 


NOTES. 


Note  A. 

Many  critics  suppose,  that  what  is  indicated  in  Daniel's 
vision,  by  the  ten  horns  on  the  head  of  the  fourth  beast,  is 
also  signified  by  the  ten  toes  on  the  feet  of  the  image  seen 
by  Nebuchadnezzar.  These  ten  toes  were  seen  in  the  vision 
to  be  "  part  of  iron  and  part  of  clay;"  which  was  interpre- 
ted to  mean,  that  the  ten  kingdoms,  indicated  by  the  ten 
toes,  should  be  "  part  strong  and  part  broken."  Some  of 
these  ten  kingdoms  were  to  possess  the  Roman  iron,  but 
others  were  to  be  like  "  potter's  clay."  The  following  state- 
ments of  Daunou,  will  cast  some  light  upon  this  subject. 
"  It  was,"  says  he,  "  in  the  eighth  century,  that  we  perceive 
the  first  symptoms  of  the  temporal  power  of  the  Roman  pre- 
lates. The  different  causes  which  were  to  terminate  in  this 
result,  then  began  to  be  perceptible."  Among  these  causes 
he  specifies  the  weakness -of  many  of  the  new  governments. 
"  In  the  mean  time,  the  new  thrones  which  had  here  and 
there  been  erected  by  some  conquering  barbarians,  began 
already  to  totter  under  their  successors,  whose  ignorance, 
often  equal  to  that  of  their  people,  seemed  to  invite  the  en- 
terprises of  the  clergy."*  Here  seems  to  be  the  clay  allu- 
ded to  in  the  vision.  The  firm  principles  of  old  Roman 
character,  and  the  ignorance  and  impetuosity  of  the  new  in- 
vaders, constituted,  when  mixed  together,  a  medley,  "  part 
strong  and  part  weak,"  which  was  exceedingly  favourable 
to  the  triumphs  of  clerical  ambition. 

Note  B. 

Romanists  pretend  to  make  a  wide  distinction  between  the 
homage  they  pay  to  God,  and  that  they  render  to  images, 
relics,  saints,  &c.  They  call  the  one  lati'ia,  the  other 
doulia.     They  have  also  invented  an  intermediate  degree, 

*  Court  of  Rome,  p.  10. 


NOTES.  343 

which  they  render  to  the  Virgin,  called  hyperdoulia.  These 
again  are  divided  into  absolute,  respective,  &c.  It  is  evi- 
dent, however,  that  such  distinctions  as  these  can  better  be 
recorded  in  a  theological  treatise  than  observed  in  daily 
practice.  The  heart  is  deceitful,  is  fickle.  And  when  the 
worshipper  bows  to  the  cross  or  an  image,  or  prays  to  a 
saint,  it  is  not  likely  that  the  nicely  distinguished  ideas,  con- 
tained under  the  words  doulia  and  latria,  can  be  very 
strongly  apprehended  by  him.  At  any  rate,  such  words, 
being  also  in  a  foreign  language,  must  constitute  a  very  thin 
veil  between  him  and  idolatry. 

But  the  distinction  here  drawn  between  doulia  and  latria, 
is  not  tenable.  The  same  Hebrew  word  (-ay)  which  means 
to  serve  or  worship,  is  rendered  both  by  latreuo  and  douleuo. 
And  in  the  New  Testament  these  words  are  both  applied  to 
the  service  or  worship  which  is  rendered  to  God.  In  Matt, 
vi.  24;  Rom.  vii.  6 ;  Gal.  iv.  8 ;  1  Thess.  i.  9;  are  instances 
in  which  douleuo  is  employed  to  express  the  homage  which 
is  to  be  rendered  to  the  supreme  Being.  The  words  are  very 
nearly  synonymous,  both  in  their  derivation  and  meaning. 
Latreuo,  from  which  latria  is  derived,  according  to  Wahl 
and  others,  has  its  root,  latris,  which  means  a  hired-ser- 
vant. Douleuo,  from  which  doulia  is  derived,  has  doulos,  a 
slave,  as  its  root.  If  then,  there  be  any  difference  between 
them,  douleuo  and  doulia  are  certainly  words  of  stronger 
import  than  latreuo  and  latria.  Surely  a  system  must  be 
straitened  for  authority,  when  it  establishes  the  worship  of 
images  upon  a  basis  of  this  kind.  This  is  the  predicament 
of  men,  who  violate,  and  teach  others  to  violate,  the  express 
law  of  Jehovah — "  Thou  shalt  not  bow  down  thyself  to 
them  nor  serve  them." 


Note  C. 

Professor  Stuart  in  his  late  work  on  the  Apocalypse,  gives 
a  very  singular  interpretation  to  this  whole  subject.  Ac- 
cording to  him,  "  the  beast  that  was  and  is  not"  refers  to 
Nero ;  the  woman  in  scarlet  is  pagan  Rome ;  and  the  ten 
horns  are  ten  dependent  kings,  the  subjects  of  Nero's  author- 
ity. He  supposes  the  expression,  "the  beast  that  was  and  is 
not,"  to  be  an  ingenious  method  employed  by  John  to  indi- 
cate Nero ;  and  he  gives  a  very  learned  Excursus  to  show, 


344  NOTES. 

how  prevalent  was  the  report,  that  after  the  death  of  this 
Emperor,  he  would  revive  again. 

It  is  very  probable,  to  say  the  least,  and  notwithstanding 
all  that  the  learned  Professor  has  advanced  to  the  contrary, 
that  the  banishment  of  John  took  place  under  Domitian, 
and  not  under  Nero.  If  so,  of  course  there  can  be  no  pro- 
phetic allusion  at  all  to  the  latter  emperor  in  the  visions  of 
John.  But,  admitting  that  the  Apocalypse  was  given  under 
Nero,  is  it  probable  that  a  reigning  emperor  would  consti- 
tute so  important  a  figure  in  a  prophecy  evidently  designed 
for  future  ages?  As  to  the  report  about  Nero's  resurrection, 
is  it  not  much  more  natural  to  suppose  that  a  misunderstand- 
ing of  the  prophecy  originated  the  report,  than  that  the  re- 
port suggested  the  prophecy  ?  But  there  are  other  and 
stronger  objections  to  this  interpretation.  Some  no  doubt 
will  object  to  it,  because  it  departs  so  widely  from  the  in- 
terpretations given  of  this  vision  by  English  expositors  for 
many  centuries  past.  This,  however,  we  will  not  urge. 
The  learned  professor  in  his  very  great  zeal  to  make  Nero 
the  hero  of  these  prophecies,  makes  not  only  the  beast,  but 
one  of  his  heads  also,  to  symbolize  him  !  On  verse  8th 
chap,  xvii.,  he  says,  "  Plainly  here  the  reigning  Emperor  is 
characterized.  The  well  known  hariolation  respecting  Nero, 
that  he  would  be  assassinated  and  disappear  for  a  while,  and 
then  make  his  appearance  again  to  the  confusion  of  all  his 
enemies,  solves  the  apparent  enigma  before  us."  Here  he 
makes  the  beast,  the  symbol  of  Nero.  The  symbol,  however, 
is  changed  in  his  commentary  on  verse  10th.  "Five 
are  fallen  viz.:  Julius  Csesar,  Augustus,  Tiberius,  Caligula, 
Claudius  ;  Nero  is  the  sixth  !"  Here  is  certainly  a  strange 
confusion  of  prophetic  imagery.  The  beast  represents  Nero, 
and  yet  his  sixth  head,  also  represents  him  ! 

Nor  is  the  commentary  any  more  satisfactory,  where  he 
explains  the  import  of  the  ten  horns.  These  he  affirms  are 
symbols  of  "  ten  contemporaneous  kings,  the  dependents  of 
Nero."  When,  however,  he  attempts  to  reconcile  with  this 
explanation  what  is  said  of  the  ten  horns  in  verse  16,  he 
appears  to  be  greatly  at  a  loss.  "And  the  ten  horns  which 
thou  sawest  upon  the  beast,  these  shall  hate  the  whore  and 
shall  make  her  desolate  and  naked,  and  shall  eat  her  flesh, 
and  burn  her  with  fire."  In  commenting  on  this  verse,  the 
Professor,  and  possibly  for  good  reasons,  adopts  the  text  of 
Scholtz  and  Griesbach.       This  text  represents   the  horns 


NOTES.  345 

and  beast,  as  confederate  against  the  woman.  And  the  ten 
horns  and  the  beast — *="  $»$iov.  The  common  text  is,  and 
the  ten  horns  upon  the  beast — •«  S-»g/ov.  The  common  text 
is  that  which  has  been  followed  by  Wickliffe,  Tyndale,  and 
Cranmer ;  and  which  is  also  adopted  by  the  versions  of  Ge- 
neva, Rheims  and  King  James.  We  pass  this  by,  however. 
That  this  prophecy  foretells  the  utter  destruction  of  Rome 
is  conceded.  "At  all  events,"  says  he,  "  heathen  and  per- 
secuting Rome  is  to  be  utterly  destroyed."  It  is  evident, 
however,  that  neither  Nero  nor  his  "contemporaneous 
kings,"  utterly  destroyed  Rome.  How  is  the  difficulty  to 
be  gotten  over?  First,  an  interpretation  by  Ewald  is  sup- 
posed to  be  satisfactory.  This  writer  presumes  that  verse  16 
refers  "  to  the  predicted  return  of  Nero  from  the  east, 
after  his  exile  thither  and  his  reunion  with  the  confederate 
kings  of  that  region,  in  order  to  invade  Italy,  and  destroy 
its  capital,  where  he  was  assassinated !"  With  this  worse 
than  mythological  interpretation,  however,  the  Professor  is 
not  altogether  satisfied.  He,  therefore,  gives  one  which  he 
considers  better.  "  The  sentiment  seems  to  be,  that  tyrants 
like  Nero,  and  persecutors  such  as  his  confederates,  would 
occasion  wasting  and  desolation  to  Rome  even  like  to  that 
already  inflicted  by  Nero,  who  had  set  Rome  on  fire  and 
consumed  a  large  portion  of  it !"  Rome  is  to  be  utterly 
destroyed.  The  ten  horns  and  the  beast,  that  is,  the  confed- 
erated kings  and  Nero,  were  to  be  the  authors  of  this  de- 
struction. When,  however,  we  ascertain  the  facts,  it  is 
tyrants  like  Nero,  and  persecutors  such  as  his  confederates, 
who  are  to  accomplish  this  destruction.  Surely,  after  such 
an  expenditure  of  learning  and  pains,  one  is  at  least  disap- 
pointed in  a  result  like  this.  But  even  this  is  not  true. 
What  tyrants  or  persecutors  destroyed  pagan  Rome?  If 
any,  they  must  have  been  Constantine  and  Christian  bish- 
ops !     So  that,  this  interpretation  fails  at  every  point. 

There  is  another  inconsistency  into  which  this  learned 
author  falls.  In  his  preface  he  tells  us,  that  a  right  inter- 
pretation of  the  Apocalypse  can  never  be  given  so  long  as 
this  book  is  considered  as  an  "  epitome  of  civil  and  eccle- 
siastical history."  But  in  his  commentary  on  chapter  vii. 
he  says,  "  if  we  adopt  the  explanation  made  out  by  appeal 
to  historical  ground,  then  all  is  plain  and  easy."  While 
thus  the  Prosessor  condemns  in  others  the  explanation  of 
these  prophecies  by  an  appeal  to  history,  he  still  makes  the 


346  NOTES. 

same  appeal  himself,  and  considers  it  the  only  method  of 
arriving  at  certainty. 

Note  D. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  commandments  as  used  at  the 
confessional. 

"  I.  Thou  shalt  love  God  above  all  things. 
II.  Thou  shalt  not  swear. 

III.  Thou  shalt  sanctify  the  holy  days. 

IV.  Thou  shalt  honour  thy  father  and  mother. 
V.  Thou  shalt  not  kill. 

VI.  Thou  shalt  not  commit  fornication. 
VII.  Thou  shalt  not  steal. 
VIII.  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness,  nor  lie. 

IX.  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour's  wife. 

X.  Thou  shalt  not  covet  the  things  which  are  another's."* 

The  fact  that  the  second  commandment  is  left  out  in  this 
list,  would  seem  to  indicate,  that  the  Romish  priesthood  are 
self-conscious  that  the  practices  of  the  church  are  contrary 
to  the  express  law  of  God. 


Note  E. 

The  following  particulars  are  given  by  a  traveller,  as  to  the 
manner  of  spending  a  Sabbath  in  the  city  of  Mexico.  "At 
a  corner  of  the  great  square  are  suspended  huge  placards, 
on  which  the  nature  of  the  day's  amusements  is  depicted  in 
every  variety  of  colour.  Here  is  a  pictorial  illustration  of 
the  most  prominent  attractions  of  the  great  theatre,  which, 
in  common  with  all  the  rest,  is  open  twice  on  this  day.  A 
little  further  on  is  a  full  length  figure  of  Figaro,  which  draws 
your  attention  to  the  fascinating  allurements  of  the  opera. 
The  bull-fights  next  solicit  your  notice,  announcing  the  most 
terrific  particulars.  Endless  varieties  of  other  exhibitions 
put  forth  their  claims.  A  balloon  ascension  is  advertised  for 
the  afternoon.  One  would  suppose,  too,  that  the  old  Roman 
gladiatorial  shows  were  revived ;  for  at  one  spectacle  is  a 
contest  between  a  man  and  a  bear.  Cock-fights,  dog-fights, 
and  fandangoes  are  announced  in  every  part  of  the  city. 

*  Gavin. 


NOTES.  347 

Horse-racing,  the  circus,  jugglers,  posture-masters,  tum- 
blers, fire-eaters,  concerts,  fencing  matches,  pigeon  shooting, 
gymnastic  exercises,  country  excursions,  balls  graduated  to 
every  pocket,  form  but  a  fraction  of  the  entertainments  to 
which  this  day  is  devoted.  The  finale  of  the  day  is  gene- 
rally wound  up  by  a  splendid  display  of  fire-works,  and 
thus  ends  a  Mexican  Sabbath !"  And  yet  the  same  writer 
speaks  of  a  "crowded  cathedral,"  and  of  "unaffected  atti- 
tudes of  devotion  !"  Jupiter  or  Mars  might  be  worshipped 
in  this  way,  but  not  the  God  of  heaven. 


Note  F. 

Schleusner  defines  the  literal  meaning  of  a-rrgoc  (petros),  to 
be,  "  Lapidem  qui  e  loco  in  locum  moveri  potest" — "  a  stone 
which  can  be  moved  from  place  to  place."  In  this  sense  the 
word  is  not  used  in  the  New  Testament.  The  only  sense  in 
which  it  is  here  employed  is,  as  an  appellative,  or  proper 
name.  In  this  sense  it  is  always  and  exclusively  applied  to 
the  Apostle  Peter. 

The  word  Tm^n.  (petra,)  on  the  contrary,  is  in  no  case 
whatever  used  as  a  person's  name.  To  suppose,  therefore, 
that  in  Matt.  xvi.  18,  it  refers  to  the  apostle,  is  to  give  it  an 
application  which  it  never  has,  and  of  which,  considering  the 
gender,  it  is  incapable.  In  Mark  xv.  46,  this  word  express- 
es the  rock  out  of  which  Joseph's  tomb  had  been  hewn.  In 
Luke  viii.  6,  it  expresses  the  rock  on  which  a  part  of  the 
seed  fell.  In  Matt.  vii.  24,  25,  it  is  used  to  denote  the  rock 
on  which  the  wise  man  built  his  house.  In  Rom.  ix.  33, 
and  1  Cor.  x.  4,  it  is  put  for  Christ  himself.  It  is  here, 
however,  not  used  as  a  proper  name,  but  as  a  figure,  and 
applies  more  to  the  divinity  than  to  the  humanity  of  Christ. 
Schleusner  says,  it  is  used  here  "  metaphorice  et  modo  plane 
singulari" — "  metaphorically  and  in  a  sense  evidently  pecu- 
liar." Not  a  solitary  instance  can  be  found  in  which  it 
refers  to  the  apostle  Peter,  not  one. 


Note  G. 

This  position  may  seem  to  be  contradicted  by  comparing 
1  Cor.  hi.  11,  with  Rev.  i.  18.     This  contradiction  however 


348  NOTES. 

is  only  apparent.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  evident,  that  many 
things  may  be  said  of  Christ,  which  could  be  applicable  to 
no  other  being  in  the  universe.  He  is  divine,  yet  human 
— was  dead,  yet  lives;  exercises  the  highest  prerogatives,  yet 
has  endured  the  greatest  humiliations.  Language  therefore, 
which  the  Scriptures  uniformly  apply  to  him,  they  never  ap- 
ply to  another.  It  is  also  evident,  that  the  two  texts  under 
consideration,  apply  exclusively  to  Christ.  The  first  refers 
chiefly  to  his  atoning  sacrifice  for  sin,  the  latter  to  his  regal 
authority  in  heaven.  When  the  Apostle  too,  says,  "  Other 
foundation  (S-^sx/ov)  can  no  man  lay  than  that  is  laid,  which 
is  Jesus  Christ,"  he  evidently  refers  to  the  doctrines  and  work 
of  Christ,  and  not  to  Christ  personally.  It  was  by  his 
preaching  that  he  laid  the  foundation  of  Christianity  at  Co- 
rinth. That  preaching  however  referred  to  facts  and  truths. 
It  was  therefore,  these  facts  and  truths,  all  of  which  related  to 
Christ,  that  he  calls  "foundation  already  laid."  Henry  ex- 
plains this  language  as  applicable  to  "  the  doctrines  of  our 
Saviour  and  his  mediation."  Scott  refers  the  phrase  to  "the 
person,  mediatorial  office,  righteousness,  atonement,  inter- 
cession and  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Bloomfield 
says,  "  The  sense  of  Jesus  Christ  here  is,"  as  the  best  com- 
mentators have  said,  "  the  history  of  Jesus  Christ,  compre- 
hending the  doctrines  and  precepts,  the  promises  and  threat- 
enings  of  the  gospel." 

These  texts  therefore  present  no  objection  to  the  general 
truth  we  have  here  laid  down.  It  certainly  is  an  incorrect 
mode  of  speaking,  to  affirm,  that  a  man  is  the  foundation  of 
a  society  and  yet  its  ruler.  Nor  do  we  recollect,  either  in 
common  parlance,  or  in  books,  to  have  heard  or  read  a  soli- 
tary expression  of  this  sort. 


THE  END. 


14  DAY  USE 

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